


Bionic Luna ©

by Cloakseeker



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha - Freeform, Comfort, Cure, Disease, F/M, Hurt, LuNa - Freeform, Pack, Romance, Science Fiction, Supernatural - Freeform, Werewolf, mate, mate bond
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-05-21 01:58:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 67,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14906261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloakseeker/pseuds/Cloakseeker
Summary: Not your average Alpha female. The small town of Wolf's Hill, population 5 000, welcomes a new resident. Unlike the rest of the townspeople, Shiloh Andrews is merely human. At least that's what the Alpha, Cameron Johnson, believes. Not only is Shiloh his mate, but she hides more secrets than Cameron's entire pack. Soon, the Wolf's Hill Pack will learn that there is more between heaven and earth than they thought. Soon, they will see a world they had only seen in science fiction movies. Soon. they would learn that a Merchant of Death was among them. Soon, they would meet a Bionic Luna.Story will contain some mature themes and language. Please be advised.Copyright © 2018 Christina Wind. All rights reserved.





	1. Chapter 1

The first days of summer had arrived over the small town of Wolf's Hill, Montana. Children were running around, glad that school was finally over and no teacher could tell them that homework came before fun. The elders of Wolf's Hill were preparing for an annual event called the Howl Festival, which to the human community of Bozeman, Montana, the largest city closest to Wolf's Hill, meant a large barbecue to celebrate nature and all the wonders it contained. To the community of Wolf's Hill, however, that day was a celebration of the Moon Goddess, who watched over all the wolves in the world. It was customary that on that day, all unmated wolves would gather around in the forest in hopes of finding their other half.

This year was no different.

In the wee hours of that day, a large convoy arrived at the town's border. The mayor, Alexander Johnson, former Alpha of the Wolf's Hill Pack, was already informed that a new resident would come to live among them. Unlike everyone else in town, the person, Shiloh Andrews, of whom he knew almost nothing other than the name and that they bought a large parcel of land near Wolf's Hill to build a factory, was a human. If Andrews would have been a wolf, they would have known that in order to be allowed residency on pack land, they needed to ask permission from the current alpha, his son, Cameron Johnson. Of course, there was always the possibility that the person was a rogue in search for a pack or even a turned werewolf who didn't know much about werewolf culture, other than what you could find on the internet, which meant, they didn't know much of anything.

In order to keep the town mostly human-free, most former alphas took on the position of mayor to run the town like any other human community, while leaving the real lead to the new Alpha. Alexander was no exception. He loved his pack and was glad to be able to still help them, albeit with less responsibilities on his shoulders. Most of his pack members went out into the world, got college degrees and came back to improve life in their community. Humans usually avoided the wolf town not because they knew about werewolves, because they didn't, but more for the rather secluded location.

A large part of Wolf's Hill was open to the public, so to speak, but there was a restricted area where the warriors of the pack would train and teach new recruits. Those areas were off limits to the pack, mostly for safety reasons, but also to avoid nosy humans from finding out about the werewolf world. That, though, was a rather unlikely scenario since both Cameron and Alexander knew everything that was going on, without exception.

If anyone would have walked through the forest at 3 a.m., they would have been more than just stunned to see what was going on at the new factory. No one in town really knew what the factory was supposed to produce or if it even had employees, since no one started recruiting personnel. It seemed weird to the Alpha and the Mayor of the small community, but they figured that perhaps the owner wanted to set things up first before starting interviewing people for possible jobs. Sure, everyone in Wolf's Hill had a job, but that was mostly pack related. It wouldn't hurt an extra set of income.

The loud buzzing noise of gears and unusual machines rang through the night, piercing its calm with deafening screeches and squeaks as the convoy, and forgive the lack of a better word, transformed into a house. If anyone would have watched the scene unfold, they would have either thought it was some kind of magic trick or maybe they were too drunk for their brains to process the information before them correctly. Either way, it was otherworldly. Thankfully, no one did see the peculiar sight happening behind the new factory, shielded by the white structure from prying eyes.

As soon as the sci-fi house was finished building itself, a strange noise, a cross between an airplane engine and a large, furious stream of a mountain river, was heard. However, if anyone would have been there, they wouldn't have seen a thing until it was over. The sound got louder and within a blink of an eye, a massive aircraft, like nothing known to mankind, materialized out of thin air. An eerie bluish light lit up the ground beneath it, as it descended slowly. It smoothly landed on the lawn right in front of the newly build house. The engine quieted down as soon as the aircraft touched the ground, only to be replaced by the hissing sound of a cargo bay door opening at the back of the craft, making it look as if it was alien, and perhaps it was. One single figure emerged from inside the odd-shaped metal aircraft. The figure was wearing what appeared to be a special flight suit that, believe it or not, looked more like a space suit from a science fiction movie. Maybe, it was indeed an alien.

Stepping outside of its craft, the figure pressed a button on its left wrist, closing up the aircraft and cloaking it so that no one could see it sitting there, beckoning conspiracy theorists to post on their blogs about yet another alien sighting. How wrong they would be to consider it alien!

Walking awkwardly towards the new house in the middle of the forest, the figure pressed another button on its suit, making the protective gear pull itself off of the person wearing it and compressing itself into a cube sitting in the grass right next to the owner's feet. The person picked it up, and walked leisurely into the house. A few hours of sleep would be necessary for the person to face the challenges of the day that was rapidly chasing the night away.


	2. Chapter 2

Like every Friday morning, Cameron visited his father in the Mayor's office. They would usually discuss problems about the pack interacting with the neighboring human community, but today they only had one topic on the agenda. That also explained why, Evelyn, Cameron's mother, was also in his father's office.

While both Cameron and his father were similar in height, well above six feet, with Cameron slightly towering at 6'7'', both men were muscled and strong, with broad shoulders and piercing blue eyes. Alexander had black hair, while Cameron inherited his mother's light brown hair that he didn't cut but wore shoulder-length. Anyone who looked at them wouldn't have guessed that they were father and son, maybe brothers, but definitely worthy of any modeling job thrown at them.

Evelyn was the epitome of femininity. At 5'9'' she was tall for human and even werewolf standards, but still dwarfed by her 6'5'' tall husband and even taller son. Her light brown curls were usually hanging over her shoulders reaching to the small of her back giving her an angelic appearance no matter time of day. Her hazel eyes and fair skin accentuated her natural charm. Her delicate features with high cheekbones and full lips made her look much younger than she actually was earning her countless compliments from men and spiteful looks from women. Obviously, none of those came ever from her pack, but from those who didn't really know her. It didn't even matter to her what those people had to say. The only opinion that ever mattered to her was her mate's.

Alexander was very much in love with her today as the day he first laid eyes on her. Even if they wouldn't have been destined to be together or werewolves to facilitate their relationship, Alexander knew that this woman would have captured his attention and once he got to know her better, he was absolutely certain that he would have fallen irrevocably in love with her.

"Is everything ready?" Alexander asked his wife, smiling lovingly at her as she sat across from his desk next to their son.

"Yes, dear. Our guests have arrived and they are all anxious for the festival later this afternoon," Evelyn informed them. Alexander nodded in approval, before turning his attention to his son. Cameron just rolled his eyes. He knew where this was going.

"Maybe this year, son," Alexander said, his eyes soft, almost pitiful.

Every werewolf, usually, starts looking for their mate the moment they first shift. For Cameron that was ten years prior, when he was twelve. Obviously, at that age he wasn't very anxious to find a mate, not that he would have been ready for it. Most wolves shift at the age of sixteen, but those with alpha blood shift sooner. However, after his seventeenth birthday, when most of his friends had found their mate, Cameron started getting anxious. It got so bad, that he convinced his parents to let him travel to other packs, under the pretext to introduce himself as the next Alpha of the Wolf's Hill Pack, while at the same time secretly searching for his one true love. But after he went to almost every pack in the United States, Cameron started losing hope. At some point, he was convinced that he didn't have a mate or that, perhaps, she was dead or maybe the Moon Goddess just didn't make one for him.

He got so depressed that he didn't care with whom he slept with, earning him the title of player. It was only after his mom sat him down one afternoon, after a fight he had with his dad, that she told him that she was disappointed. Hearing her say those words about him crushed his heart. He loved his mom very much and he never once wanted to disappoint her. Sure, he often had arguments with his dad, but that's because they were both so stubborn. His mom, however, was like his guardian angel and he swore when he was a little boy that he would always protect her and make her proud of him. When he failed to do so, he knew he needed to change.

A knock on the door pulled Cameron out of his daydream. His dad's assistant came in announcing that Shiloh Andrews, the owner of the new factory just arrived and asked if the mayor was available.

"Tell Mr. Andrews to come in," Alexander said smiling. Nicole, his assistant, shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, making her boss look at her curiously.

"Um, it's actually Ms. Andrews," Nicole informed. Alexander's eyes widened for a moment, surprised that a woman was in charge, but shook it off, remembering that he had married a very capable woman himself. Being a male wasn't always a guarantee of being successful in life. Many women, wolves and human alike, could be respected experts in their fields. He really needed to get this macho crap out of his system. Then again, it was in his nature to be protective over females, especially his mate.

"Send her in, please," he finally told Nicole, who just nodded, and turned towards the person waiting to be allowed in.

"Mayor Johnson is ready for you now, Ms. Andrews."

Cameron watched with rapt attention as Nicole explained that both he and his mother were also in the office. The mystery woman only gave Nicole a polite "thank you" before being allowed to actually enter the office.

The first thing that hit Cameron was her scent. It was something sweet, vanilla with something he couldn't quite identify. What was it? It was fruity. Strawberry? No. Peaches? No. It smelled exotic. Papaya, maybe. Yes. Definitely, papaya. Damn! His mouth was watering.

What seemed like forever to Cameron was merely a second or two, as the new arrival in Wolf's Hill entered the office, and smiled politely towards the three Johnsons.

The woman, very young, looked like a princess from a fairy tale dressed up in a black pencil skirt, a white blouse with short sleeves and a pair of black high-heeled sandals. She looked like the typical business woman entering a business meeting, yet she was so much more. Cameron noticed that other than a beaded bracelet on her left wrist and a watch on her right, the young woman didn't wear any jewelry.

Her short, bob-styled strawberry-blonde hair encased her delicate oval face, with big, expressive, green eyes, a cute button nose and full red lips that beckoned Cameron to capture them in a passionate kiss. He was completely stunned by her beauty and noticed that she barely wore any make-up, just some mascara and a lip-gloss, making her lips seem juicier. Oh, how he would love to taste all of her juices. The woman had yet to acknowledge him, since she was currently engaged in greeting his parents, with his mother graciously welcoming her into their town.

"May I introduce my son," Evelyn said, and turned her head towards Cameron. The young woman turned towards him as well, and when their eyes locked, Cameron thought he would do somersaults.

"Mate!" his wolf chanted. Cameron could hardly believe it. This heavenly creature was his mate? The one he had been looking for so long?

"Hello, I am Shiloh. Nice meeting you," she said with a sweet, innocent smile. Cameron was still awestruck when his wolf growled at him to greet their mate properly.

"Hello, I'm Cameron. Nice to meet you, too," he replied, extending his hand. Shiloh smiled anew, and put her small, delicate hand into his large, calloused one, only to be met by sparks. Her eyes momentarily widened, and her mouth fell open as she stared at their joined hands.

Shiloh couldn't explain what the feeling was she experienced but she was sure, she would find the answer to the mystery. She always did. She shook her head slightly, wanting to move on, despite something keeping her rooted to the spot. She looked up to look into Cameron's beautiful blue orbs, trying to figure him out.

"Kiss her," Cameron's wolf demanded.

"I can't," Cameron argued in his head.

"She's our mate," came his wolf's angry reply.

"She is human, if you haven't noticed. She doesn't know about lycanthropes and what mates are. We need to go about this the human way," Cameron explained and his wolf growled angrily. They were both frustrated with that approach, but it was still better than scaring her off and having her reject them.

"Please, Ms. Andrews, take a seat," Alexander offered, forcing his son to let go of the girl's hand.

Shiloh turned her head towards the mayor and smiled. Pulling her hand from the grasp of the tall, handsome man before her, she took the seat next to the mayor's wife, who insisted Shiloh called her by her name, skipping unnecessary formalities. Unbeknownst to the young woman, Evelyn had already figured out why her son was so focused on the new arrival, having seen the same reaction in her husband when they first discovered they were mates and countless times afterwards.

Evelyn engaged Shiloh in a little chit-chat, while she knew her husband was calming their son down. It was important for Cameron, as hard as it may seem, to take things slow with the girl, since she wasn't like them; she was human.

"Cameron, you need to keep your wolf calm," Alexander warned through his mind link.

"I'm trying, dad. But she's my mate," Cameron sent back, excitement clear in his eyes.

"I figured. The girl is human, though. You don't want to scare her. Perhaps, talk to your Uncle Aaron. His mate was human too when they met, and before they mated, he turned her," Alexander offered.

"So, Ms. Andrews," Mayor Johnson started, but Shiloh interrupted him with a kind smile.

"Please, just Shiloh. I get enough of these formalities as it is," she said with a nervous chuckle. Why was she nervous? She met all kinds of people on a daily basis, most of them military. This was just the mayor of a small town, not the president of the United States.

However, Shiloh noticed from her research on this town that the people were very close to each other, like a big family. Although, they were around five thousand people, so maybe she was just seeing things. Lately, that wasn't so far from the truth. She saw danger were there was none; mysterious figures lurking in the dark that turned out to be awkward shadows cast by furniture; she felt cold when it was hot or hot when it was freezing. She knew that it was all in her head, but when it happened, she couldn't tell anymore.

"Alright, Shiloh. What brings you to our little town?" Alexander asked politely, trying to gather as much information about his future daughter-in-law as he could, without seeming too intrusive.

"I needed a quiet place for my factory. This is honestly the best place I could find in the continental United States without having to travel to Hawaii. I mean, living and working in paradise doesn't sound so bad," Shiloh joked, "but I prefer the solitude of the forest."

"Forgive me that I ask," Evelyn started, and Shiloh turned her body slightly towards the mayor's wife. "It is rather unusual to see a young woman such as yourself starting a company."

"Oh, I guess. I have actually started my company when I was seventeen. I had just gotten my PhD and was recruited by the government. I figured, it would be better for me to work with them as a private contractor rather than their employee," Shiloh explained with a proud smile. The three Johnsons stared at her in awe, still trying to process what she had said.

"Excuse me. Did you just say, you got your PhD at seventeen?" Alexander asked flabbergasted.

"Yes," Shiloh replied, matter-of-factly.

"I'm confused," Alexander admitted.

"Well, I was a very fast learner when I was young, and my parents took me to a psychologist, after a friend of theirs suggested I might be gifted. It turned out that I indeed was, which made it possible for me to skip a couple of grades and move on to college by the time I was twelve," Shiloh explained the unusual situation.

"Wow, that's impressive," came Cameron's admiring voice.

Shiloh noticed that the young man, Cameron, was very handsome, but what drew her in were his mesmerizing blue eyes and his deep, husky voice. Every time he spoke, she felt a shudder run through her being and something deep inside her, something primal, kept telling her to touch him, taste him and press herself against his hard, firm body. As soon as those thoughts came, Shiloh shook them off, remembering that she chose Wolf's Hill not just for the peaceful and secluded scenery, but mostly because of the reduced number of inhabitants compared to the other locations that would have kept her factory away from prying eyes. She couldn't afford any kind of attachment with these people whatsoever. It wasn't like she felt they were beneath her, on the contrary. They all seemed very nice and welcoming, but her job and other factors would have made it impossible for her to forge relationships of any kind. No, better stick to polite chit-chat and not give away too much.

Cameron was entranced by the petite beauty sitting next to his mother. Alright, maybe she wasn't that petite, even without the heels, but she was certainly shorter than he was. He already started to daydream about how it would have felt holding her in his arms, kissing her luscious lips, making sweet, yet passionate love to her.

He was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts when the other three stood up and headed to the door. Cameron quickly mind linked his dad, asking what was going on. The older man chuckled at his son, and told him that his mom suggested to give Shiloh a tour of their town.

"I could have done that," Cameron protested in his mind, at which his dad told him to chill. They were all just as excited to get to know the girl better. "I doubt that," Cameron muttered.

As they walked towards the exit, Cameron mind linked his pack, informing them that he and his parents were showing the newest resident around and that she was human. He knew that the pack was "well behaved" when it came to handling humans, but this wasn't just any human. This was his mate, albeit she didn't know that yet.

He walked next to his father, behind Shiloh and his mother, as Evelyn explained what the buildings were they passed and charmed her with little folk tales of the place. Every now and then, Shiloh would ask questions, mostly about the surrounding area and its population, but also asked about the forest and if there were any dangerous animals living there.

"Well, there are wolves, but don't worry, they won't harm you," Evelyn tried to sound reassuring.

Shiloh gave her a curious look, trying to assess if the older woman was joking or if she was suffering from some sort of delusion. How could wolves not be dangerous? However, she didn't comment on that, and just nodded.

It felt nice to just walk around a small town, having casual small talk with new people, not trying to be overly polite or technical. Don't get Shiloh wrong, she loved her job, even if it meant talking to boring government people. But it felt unusually satisfying to not try to live up to someone's expectations. These people had no idea what exactly she was doing for the government, and until the question was asked, she wouldn't bring it up.

She enjoyed listening to Evelyn. The woman was sophisticated and charming. Shiloh could easily see her at high society events, charming everyone there, luring them into conversations they wouldn't normally have, but couldn't deny having while in her presence.

Shiloh tried to follow Evelyn and remember all the things the older woman told her about her new home, but her thoughts were drawn to the man who was walking behind her. She could practically feel his gaze on the back of her head and it made her uncomfortable. It felt as if he tried to read her mind, which she was sure, he couldn't. If he could, he would have been running away screaming. No, Shiloh was not to engage in any romantic liaison. Only God knew how much heartache that would have brought with it. Better stay focused on her work and finishing up her projects. After all, she had a deadline. Her focus had to stay on her work and not playing 'house' with a strange, yet freakishly attractive man. Like, seriously, is he a model?

Cameron looked like the type of man that could have any woman he so desired. Why would he turn his attention on her? A nerd? She knew she wasn't an ugly duckling, but still. Someone like him was probably a player, a macho who would rather remember the amount of times he had intercourse with some bimbo than have an honest conversation with another human being. He was most likely a playboy, which was fine, Shiloh guessed. It didn't even matter. Shiloh swore that she would never get attached to another human being for as long as she lived, which she already knew, was doable.


	3. Chapter 3

It has been a week since Cameron found his mate. It has also been a week since he last saw her. He couldn't blame her, though. Not after what went on during the Howl Festival.

Everything seemed so perfect. Evelyn had invited Shiloh to have lunch with them at his parents' house, together with his younger siblings and their mates, and while Shiloh refused at first, she finally gave in. Evelyn made sure to have lunch ready by the time the four of them were done with their tour of Wolf's Hill and Cameron made sure that both his younger brother and sister, as well as their mates knew that Shiloh was his mate, but also human, so it was imperative that they kept their comments about him in check.

For the first time in years, Cameron felt bad about his past amorous relationships with other women. At the time, they were just stress relief, but now, he could understand why his mom was so disappointed in him.

During their talk, Evelyn had revealed that her mate wasn't a virgin when they met, and while it wasn't like he slept around with many women, he did have a girlfriend before her. Thankfully, that girl was human and they broke it off on good terms, since her family moved away and they weren't actually so much in love as they loved each other as friends. Nevertheless, it was painful to Evelyn to know that he had been with someone else, while she kept her virginity for her mate intact. They both overcame that, but Evelyn had urged Cameron to think of how his mate might feel when he finally found her.

Thinking back at their conversation, Cameron realized just how true her words were. No matter what, Shiloh won't like the fact that he used to be a player. He knew that humans saw relationships differently than wolves. They didn't have the notion of mates, even if they used the term 'soul mate' frequently. To them, a soul mate was someone who understood and loved you no matter what, but that person could be a simple friend. It was different for wolves, though. Their mate was the person that the Moon Goddess specifically designed for them, the only person that would ever make them truly happy and whole.

Cameron was no fool, and knew that there was a possibility that Shiloh wasn't a virgin anymore. Even if he wasn't her mate, he saw how stunningly beautiful she was. Any red blooded man would want to be with her, he was sure.

Thinking of another male with his mate, made his blood boil, causing him to clench his fists and grit his teeth. However, he had no right to get jealous. While she was oblivious to their world and what mates constitute, he knew full well what he was doing when, yeah, he was doing other females. He never felt more ashamed in his entire life, and could only hope that Shiloh would find it in herself to forgive his transgressions. He wished he could turn back time and stop his younger self from fooling around. Unfortunately, he couldn't. All he could do was hope she'll not reject him.

The lunch at the Johnson house was awkward to say the least. His siblings and their mates bombarded Shiloh with questions, which she tried to answer, but he could tell she was evasive and didn't give up too much.

"So, Shiloh, do you have a boyfriend?" Danielle, Cameron's eighteen-year-old sister asked. Cameron almost choked on his food when he heard that question and wanted to scold his sister, but deep down was glad someone asked it, since he didn't know what he would do if his mate was in a relationship with another man. He couldn't force her to break up with him, but neither could he stand by.

"I am single," came Shiloh's soft voice, as she resumed eating, without elaborating. Well, there wasn't much you could say after that.

Cameron couldn't help the smile that was forming on his face and wanted to ask her what her favorite book or movie was, wanting to make small talk that wasn't as personal as his sister's line of questioning, but just as he mustered the courage to speak up, a beeping noise was heard, and Shiloh excused herself from the table, and went to the bathroom.

"Nigel, what is it?" Cameron eaves dropped, using his advanced werewolf hearing. Nigel? Who the fuck was Nigel? Cameron fumed at the prospect of a man in Shiloh's life. She did say she was single, but then again, she could have easily lied. His sister did have some very intimate questions for his mate, and he could see why the girl would try to keep her private life, private.

"Alright. I'll be there shortly. Make sure everything is ready when I get there. No. Not yet. We'll talk when I get home."

The conversation ended and a moment later Shiloh emerged from the bathroom, excusing herself, saying that she needed to go home. She didn't give any reason nor did she have to. After all, she had just met the Johnsons and she didn't feel obligated to share her life or problems with them.

In all fairness, Shiloh envied them. They were a happy family, mom and dad still alive; three siblings to bicker with each other in jest; nice family meals that brought them all together like it should be. Shiloh didn't want to share her life with them, because there wasn't much to share to begin with. Her life was an endless stream of problems, heartache and futility. Everything she ever did was futile. She just lied to herself that anything she did meant something. It meant nothing. She only helped destroy this world. She didn't save it. How could she save anyone? She was never able to save those she loved.

She couldn't save her parents. She couldn't save her grandfather. She couldn't save her grandmother. She couldn't even save herself. All she could do was wait for her time to run out, and as it seemed, it picked up the pace, racing towards the end. Maybe, just maybe, she will get a second chance, another life, to do things differently. But that was just wishful thinking.

Cameron offered to drive her home or wherever she needed to be, but Shiloh politely refused. She said goodbye once more, thanking Evelyn and Alexander for the lovely meal and their hospitality, and went to the front door. Just as she was about to leave their house, Evelyn ran after her, and using her failsafe charm, she convinced the younger woman to attend the Howl Festival later in the afternoon. Shiloh wanted to refuse, hating gatherings and parties in general, but something in Evelyn's eyes made her reconsider. She would have to postpone her trip for a later time. It wasn't like her problem would go away if she just left to solve it later.

As Shiloh got in her driverless car, she commanded the board computer to drive her home while she contacted Nigel, telling him to prepare for her departure later that evening and to accompany her as she attended the town's annual festival. It wasn't like she needed a body guard or something, but other than the mayor and his family, she didn't know anyone in this town. Besides, she felt uncomfortable openly lying to them. They were nice people, and by withholding information about herself she was deceiving them. Not to mention, she didn't choose Wolf's Hill to make friends, but to have a quiet place where she could work and finish her projects.

Cameron longed to go after his mate, pull her in his arms and tell her that they were destined to be together, but he knew he couldn't do that. If she would have been a she-wolf, she would have felt the mating pull already, but as a human she won't know what it is she is feeling. It was frustrating that while other wolves could be with their mates immediately after finding them, he had to move slow and make her fall in love with him the human way.

Deciding that he needed some advice on how to proceed, he went to his uncle who was the only other wolf in town who was mated to a human. Of course, his Aunt Helen was turned into a werewolf a long time ago, but they were the closest thing to a dating rulebook between a werewolf and a human. If they couldn't help, Cameron didn't know what would.

After explaining his situation to Aaron and Helen, they both remained quiet for a while. Not every human takes the whole lycanthrope idea well. It was lucky for Aaron that Helen was never scared of his beastly nature, but Helen used to know people who would have despised them if they knew werewolves were real.

"I can't tell you what to do," Aaron had started saying, and Cameron nodded, although deep down, he hoped that Aaron would have told him what to do because he sure as hell had no clue. "I can only tell you what I did. It was hard, but worth it in the end," his uncle continued, as he kissed his mate's hand, who smiled lovingly at him.

"Be her friend. Don't make her feel as if you are after her because she is a beautiful girl. I'm sure plenty of douchebags already tried the Prince Charming scheme on her," Helen continued for his uncle. "Show her that you are interested in her as a person, not some sexual stress relief. But make sure she also knows that you don't want to be left in the friend zone. Allow her to set the pace. She needs to know that you are willing to wait for as long as it takes for her to accept you as a romantic partner."

Cameron listened to his aunt and uncle for what seemed like hours. They both made valid points and on some level, he had to agree, despite his wolf urging him to go after their mate and make her theirs.

"Will you shut up?" Cameron growled at him. "Do you want her to reject us? She doesn't know that we are mates. You heard Aaron and Helen. Slow and steady will win her heart. Or what? Do you think barging into her house, throwing her on her bed, forcibly mating her will ensure her accepting us?" Cameron growled and felt bile rise in his throat at the mere idea of him doing something so disgusting and despicable. His mate was like an angel. He could never hurt her.

When his wolf finally calmed down, understanding the situation, Cameron sighed in relief. He hurried back home and showered, cleaning himself up as if his whole existence depended on it. He picked a nice, yet casual outfit, not wanting to look like a buffoon. He left his hair hang open over his shoulders, as he left his house with the widest grin on his face.

His family and he met at the border of the forest, not far from where Shiloh's factory was, hoping that he could walk with her somewhat alone, as he ushered his family to walk ahead, but as he planned the perfect evening in his head, his heart dropped when he saw Shiloh approaching them with another man by her side.

"Stay calm," his dad told him, his voice grave.

Cameron didn't reply. He knew he had to stay calm, but fuck. Another man was with his mate. HIS mate! He barely kept the growl in him, when Shiloh and the man reached the small group. He looked over the man and decided, if he ever became a threat, he could easily destroy him in one move. The mystery man wasn't much taller than Shiloh, which put him at a disadvantage compared to Cameron.

"Who is this?" Evelyn asked politely, trying to help her son. She too didn't like that her son's mate was with another man, but none of them had any right to forbid the girl to have friends.

"This is Nigel, my assistant. I didn't introduce him earlier, because he won't exactly be a resident here," Shiloh informed them, looking between Cameron's parents.

"Oh," came Evelyn's voice, and she turned her head slightly towards her son.

Thankfully, Danielle broke the tension by pulling Shiloh and her assistant towards the festival's venue. She noticed how little patience her brother had at seeing his mate with another male, and thought it better to pretend things weren't as dangerous as they were. She was certain that between her father and brother, Noah, they could keep Cameron calm.

"So, Nigel, where are you from?" Danielle asked in her usual bubbly voice.

"I am from London, in the United Kingdom," came Nigel's voice with his posh English accent.

"How did you guys meet?" Danielle inquired, and Shiloh felt like she was being interrogated, despite the fact that Danielle just seemed genuinely interested.

"During my time at Cambridge University. After I started my company, I called Nigel to be my assistant because he already knew me quite well, and I hate it when I have to teach new people the same old boring stuff about me. Like for instance how I like my coffee," Shiloh took over, giving some information, but making sure not to go into too many details. Nigel was well instructed on what to say or what to do when people asked too many questions. However, he was used to military personnel rather than bubbly teenage girls with too much time on their hand and a tendency to play Sherlock Holmes.

Thankfully, as Danielle prepared for yet another question, Evelyn admonished her, and Shiloh gave the older woman an appreciative smile and nod. Evelyn loved her daughter, but she could understand why other people weren't as chatty as Danielle was. And Shiloh was positively closing herself off. Evelyn didn't know what to think of that, but kept her concerns to herself. Cameron had already enough on his plate with his mate being human to worry about the girl's apparent wish to remain a closed book. In a way, she could understand it. She just arrived in town that day, and everyone already acted as if she was one of the family. Evelyn really considered her a daughter-in-law already, but she could see why Shiloh wouldn't consider them family. She didn't know any of them, let alone the secret they all shared. Perhaps, they all needed to back off a little bit and give the poor girl some air to breathe.

As the group reached the festival venue, Evelyn explained what they were celebrating. Shiloh listened intrigued, never having heard of something like that, but then again, she wasn't the poster girl for social skills. She barely ever went to receptions and those were usually high society or parties to celebrate a scientist. She never went to parties with people her own age, people who would let loose and go with the flow. Going with the flow – Shiloh wondered how that felt like. But she would never know.

Shiloh was grateful when the Johnson family backed off a little. They were all nice, but too much of something ruins it. She couldn't help but notice Cameron hovering. What was his deal? Why would he keep following her around? He tried to seem just to walk around aimlessly, but it was clear after the fifth turn that he was following her. Why would he be interested in her? Surely there were other, more attractive women at the festival happy to throw themselves at him. He certainly looked like the type. Why was it bothering her though? She definitely didn't want to have any kind of relationship with anyone, but the idea of Cameron with another woman made her stomach flip and she suddenly felt a pain in her chest. That was new. What was it? Where did it come from?

She turned around and almost fainted at the sight. Cameron was holding an attractive woman in his arms. She was taller than Shiloh, curvier with long dark curls reaching her barely covered bottom. The woman pressed herself against Cameron as they kissed, and Shiloh felt as if someone stabbed her in the heart.

Turning around abruptly, Shiloh moved through the sea of people, away from the scene. She didn't know why it affected her so much. She had only met Cameron that day and she had no idea if he dated someone or not. For all she knew, that woman was his girlfriend. Why did Shiloh feel the way she felt? It didn't make sense to her.

What did make sense, however, was the skull-splitting headache that hit her hard. It was only because of the constant pain she had to endure for so long that she didn't cry out, alerting the people around her. She hurried towards the path she came from, and called Nigel to meet her there as quickly as possible, and prepare the injection with the sedative. If she didn't make it home in time, Nigel could easily carry her. She just needed to go and find him.

Her escape was stopped, when Cameron suddenly called after her and within seconds reached her, making her turn around to face him. He could see the pain all over her face and he screamed internally. The day he finally found his mate, that slut Roxanne decided to come back to Wolf's Hill and assault him. Never before had he regretted something as much as having had an affair with the pack's whore. He could have kicked his own ass for sleeping with her, but what he regretted most was the fact that his mate saw him with Roxanne. He could feel her pain through their weak bond and it tore him apart knowing that it was him who caused her that pain.

"It's not what it looked like," he tried to explain, but Shiloh seemed unresponsive. He could feel her pain – it was in her heart and her head. Why was it in her head? He knew from other wolves that they felt their mates' pain, but when it came to heartache, it was usually located in the chest area. So, why did he feel it in his head too?

"It's okay. You don't owe me any explanation," she told him and he could hear the strain of her voice as she spoke. He hurt her so deeply that she felt physical pain.

He wanted to cry out, fall to his knees and beg for her forgiveness, when he saw the expression of pure horror on her face. She was looking behind him and as he turned to see what she saw, he couldn't see anything. He turned back to her, her eyes were dilated, her face lost all color, her whole body was violently shaking and he couldn't understand why.

Then, an angry howl was heard, and Cameron understood. Wolves. Rogues to be exact. How could she have seen them before he did? He let go of her just a second as he turned around to look towards the woods, mind linking his warriors to come and protect the people at the festival, while he himself would walk his mate back to his own house. There was no chance in hell he would let her stay at her house alone. Or with Nigel.

But as Cameron turned back around to talk to Shiloh, he saw with dread that she was gone. There was no trace of her. Where did she go? He immediately mind linked his father and brother, as well as his Beta and a few others, but none of them could find her.

If anything would have happened to her, Cameron knew he wouldn't be able to survive it. He didn't want to survive in a world where he didn't have his mate.

In the meantime, Shiloh found Nigel, and together they rushed back to a secret entrance located in the tree trunk of an old, tall tree. Using retinal scan, the hidden door to an elevator opened and the two figures entered it.

"Imminent danger," came a female voice and Shiloh cried out in pain.

"Nigel, the sedative. I can't take it anymore!"

Nigel plunged the needle into Shiloh's neck, injecting the transparent liquid into his boss's bloodstream. They could both only hope it would help her in time or otherwise, Shiloh had to endure more pain.

Thankfully, the sedative was strong, and within seconds Shiloh slumped against Nigel, who caught her. The elevator door opened and Nigel stepped out, picking Shiloh up and carrying her to the med center of the facility. Laying her down in one of the med pods Shiloh designed, he programmed the machine to monitor his boss and keep her comfortable until the episode was over. All he could do was wait for her to wake up. Hopefully, there won't be many more of these episodes because he doubted her fragile human body could take much more of the pain.


	4. Chapter 4

Cameron was crazy after he lost his mate. He looked for her everywhere, while his warriors took care of the rogues. It took him a little while to pick up her scent, and when he did, he felt relieved. His moment of calm, however, dissipated when he reached an old tree where her scent abruptly ended. It was as if she just disappeared into thin air. If something happened to her, he would never forgive himself. He'd prayed to the Moon Goddess to watch over his angel, not letting any harm come to her. He would gladly give his own life in exchange for hers or stay away from her if she so chose to reject him, but he pleaded with the goddess to keep her save.

"Did you find her?" came his father's voice from behind him.

"No," Cameron growled.

"Maybe she went back home," Noah offered, and Cameron looked up. Why didn't he think about that? But where was her home? He only knew where her factory was. None of them bothered to ask where she lived. How dumb could he have been not to find that out?

"I don't know where she lives," Cameron admitted and felt like someone sucker punched him in the gut.

"Dad?" Noah asked, hoping Alexander, as the mayor, would know, but his father could only shake his head. He had no idea.

"But we know where her factory is. Maybe someone there knows where her house is," Alexander offered. There couldn't be many places after all. Wolf's Hill was a small town. He knew where everyone lived. Maybe if she wasn't at the factory, he could mind link the pack and ask if the newest resident was living with any of them.

The three men hurried to the factory and as they approached, Cameron got a strange feeling. It felt like a pain in his head that was dulled but still there. He felt as if something gross tried to slither out of his brain and down his nose, to reach the outside world. What the hell was it? He couldn't tell. But whatever it was, it made him want to claw at his brain, making the pain go away. It was a good thing he was a werewolf and had a higher tolerance when it came to pain. If he was human, this pain would have been excruciating.

Thinking of that, he couldn't help but wonder if the pain he felt wasn't Shiloh's. Their bond was still weak, but it was there. The idea of her in pain made him both angry and afraid. He knew that he caused her pain, but he was more afraid over losing her.

Reaching the facility, Cameron, his brother and father couldn't help but stare at the pristine looking factory. It was a white building that didn't look like much from the outside, yet it made you realize that it wasn't ordinary. Thanks to the security company he had, a way of income and perfect to hide his true nature from the world, he noticed several hidden check points. When they got to the door, a light went on, shining down on them, before a voice was heard.

"How may I help you, gentlemen?" Nigel's voice came through the intercom.

"Is Shiloh in there?" Cameron asked immediately.

"Indeed, she is," the Englishman answered, his monotone voice getting on Cameron's last nerve.

"I want to see her," he practically ordered. Alexander tried to calm his son down, but he too was worried for the girl.

"I am sorry, but Shiloh is indisposed now. Please, come back another time," the voice replied casually.

"Now, listen here," Cameron growled, but his father stopped him.

"Please, we just want to make sure she is alright. Could you please ask her to talk to us for a moment," Alexander asked politely, knowing full well that if they acted like a raging Hulk, neither Nigel nor Shiloh would speak to them. After all, they were trespassing, and Shiloh didn't owe the Johnson men any kind of explanation.

"Shiloh had a migraine, and took a painkiller. She fell asleep a moment ago. I would hate waking her up, causing her more pain,"came Nigel's softer tone. Alexander looked towards his sons. It was futile to try again, he knew that. He understood Cameron, though, but they needed to wait for Shiloh to reach out to them.

"Thank you, Nigel. Please, tell Shiloh we hope she feels better soon and if it isn't too much of an inconvenience to call my office and let me know she is alright," Alexander told Shiloh's assistant. There was nothing they could do, and they knew it.

Reluctantly, the three men left the property after Nigel promised to deliver the message, but Cameron wasn't happy at all. He had such high hopes for that evening, but everything got ruined by Roxanne and the rogues.

No.

Roxanne wasn't to blame. After all, he did sleep with her, despite knowing about her reputation. The rouges were handled just fine by his warriors. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that something else was going on. He knew that mates felt each other's pain, but until Cameron and Shiloh were mated, everything was dulled down and confusing.

Alexander couldn't help him much with that and it was too late for Cameron to visit his uncle again. All he could do was hope that Shiloh would let him explain.

"Did you guys notice that this Nigel dude had no scent?" Noah suddenly asked. At that, both Alexander and Cameron turned to look at the younger Johnson. They both thought about it, and came to the same conclusion.

"Do you think he knows how to mask his scent?" Cameron asked seriously.

Alexander had no idea. Unless Nigel was a wolf, which didn't seem likely, it was a hell of a feat to mask one's scent. In fact, even supernatural creatures had a hard time masking their scent. Whoever or whatever Nigel was, they needed to stay alert.

Cameron had already decided to investigate the man that was so close to his mate, and if he turned out to be a threat to Shiloh, Cameron himself would end his existence.

Their journey back in town wasn't long, and Alexander already mind linked his mate telling her that they hadn't exactly seen Shiloh, but her assistant assured them she was resting. In any case, there was nothing they could have done. If Alexander would have allowed Cameron to give into his primal urges, the younger Johnson would have not only revealed himself and his entire pack to the humans, but also risked losing his mate. They needed to proceed with caution. Despite Shiloh being his son's mate, she was oblivious to their world and therefore they couldn't risk moving too fast. Slow and steady – that's how they needed to move forward.

Cameron went home frustrated and alone. He was so angry with himself for possibly having blown his chances with Shiloh; frustrated with Roxanne for attaching her face to his like a leech when last time he saw her he told her to never come near him again; suspicious of the mysterious Nigel without a scent; confused about Shiloh's reaction in the forest and the strange pain he seemed to feel through their bond; disappointed that despite finding his mate he still had to sleep alone, and lastly, a bit pissed at the Moon Goddess for making his mate human.

As he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind went a million places at once. Yes, he did feel all those things, but he knew that if he would look at the problems in front of him as an alpha instead of a whiney wimp, he would probably find solutions. The fact that Shiloh saw him and Roxanne kissing was most unfortunate, but the truth was, he had absolutely no feelings for Roxanne. He just needed an opportunity to show that to Shiloh. Besides, it was part of his past that, unfortunately, he couldn't erase. He had to accept whatever shit storm came his way and face it like a man.

He needed to put Roxanne in her place. It was one thing for them to fool around as teenagers, but even then, he sent her away. He didn't love her, heck, he barely tolerated her. He needed to make it clear that even if he hadn't found his mate, he still wouldn't have been interested in her.

Thinking of his mate, Cameron wanted nothing more than to shout to the world that he found his Luna, but until she was ready to accept him, he needed to keep her hidden from the pack. They were all good people and would have welcomed her with open arms, but it would have been too overwhelming for her if he told everyone before he had the chance to explain his world to her.

What truly bothered him, maybe not the most, but was definitely in the top three, was this Nigel character. He didn't know anything about the man, other that he was English, Shiloh's assistant and had no scent. There could be numerous reasons why he didn't smell of anything, none of them in any way positive.

And then there was Shiloh. He was pissed a little that she was human, but as he thought about it, he didn't really care. Maybe werewolves took their mates for granted. In the human world, the guy had to work hard to win the girl's heart. So what if he had to work hard? Even if she wasn't already his mate, he knew that she was the type of girl that was worth the effort.

He really needed to stop being such a whiney bitch and do something to win over the love of his life. He promised himself to go woo her the next day and not give up until she was his.

Plan sounded good in his head, but turned out to be harder to execute since the object of his desires decided to go on a trip, leaving a to-her-unknown-mate behind frustrated and in a killer mood.


	5. Chapter 5

A week. Shiloh was gone for a week. Well, not a whole week. The morning after the Howl Festival, Shiloh woke up in her bedroom, feeling the aftereffects of the killer headache she had the previous night, only to be brought back by the message Alexander Johnson and his two sons left for her. Shiloh didn't really know what to think of their insistence to meddle in her life, but understood why they were concerned. After all, she left the festival without as much as a goodbye. She then decided to call Alexander's office, letting him know that she was fine, making sure to thank him for his concern, but to rest assured. He then proceeded to invite her over for dinner, but she declined, saying she had to travel to meet some business partners. Obviously, that was a lie. Well, half of it was a lie.

In reality, Shiloh had to go fix her satellite that got hit by space junk. Again. Who would have thought being a billionaire genius would be so troublesome.

Before she left, Shiloh instructed Nigel to keep the factory in good shape and alert her of any unusual activity. It wasn't uncommon for her competitors to try and sneak a peek at what she was working on, but she was confident that her security measures were enough to keep those Nosy O'Donnells out.

Her main concern was to fix her satellite and update its software to help her get better data. Her main problem, however, was the space junk left by every other space agency in the world. That is why she modified one of her car armors that she specially designed for military Humvees to withstand bombings, to shield her precious, state-of-the-art satellite from being constantly hit by garbage.

Thankfully, the whole thing didn't take her too long, and within two days she was done with the repairs and the software update. Not wanting to return right away, especially since she still felt so conflicted over one very handsome man in Wolf's Hill, Shiloh decided to go visit her family. It has been a while and Shiloh felt as if she betrayed them.

Setting course for her birth town, Shiloh prepared herself for the emotional storm that she was about to enter. But that same storm was familiar and soon enough, they would be reunited forever. A part of her was happy to see them again, whilst another, a more primal one wanted to stay where she was. The desire was there before, being it programmed in any human's DNA. However, since she met Cameron, Shiloh couldn't help but wanting to stay, to be with him.

She shook her head abruptly. What was she thinking? Cameron was probably in a relationship with the woman he kissed at that damn festival. Shiloh still couldn't understand why she felt so jealous and betrayed. It wasn't as if they were dating. Heck, they had just met that same day. Sure, Cameron sent her signals that he was interested. But how interested could he have been if he kissed other women right in front of her? Also, she still had no right to be upset. He didn't ask her out or declare his undying love for her.

Ugh!

What was she even doing? It didn't matter in the slightest if Cameron was single or taken. There was no chance in hell she would allow him near her. After all, she wouldn't be around much longer, she knew that now. No matter how good her nanobots worked, and they did, time was running out for Shiloh, and she needed to finish her projects.

While Shiloh was on her way to visit her family, Cameron was out of his mind worried. Not only didn't he know where his mate was, but on top of all, he didn't trust that Nigel guy. The fact that he was evasive with Cameron when the Alpha went to visit the factory only made him more suspicious of the foreigner with no scent.

He listened to his father, though, and didn't cause trouble. The last think he needed was for Shiloh to come home and find a beaten up assistant. No, Cameron needed to be smarter about it. He needed to find out who this guy was and what he was hiding.

He ordered Dylan, his Beta, along with two of his best warriors to investigate the matter. Cameron had a suspicion that perhaps Nigel was lying to them and that Shiloh never left Wolf's Hill. But as much as he wanted to find out the truth, he couldn't as long as he just sat on his ass while waiting for his mate to make a public appearance again.

Therefore, for the past three days, Dylan, and two other wolves, patrolled the area around Shiloh's factory, looking for signs of any activity, but as far as they could tell, nothing happened. It was even stranger, because while there was no visible fence, they could all feel a force field of some sort that prevented them from getting to close to the building. Though they couldn't sniff out either Shiloh or catch a scent of the mysterious Nigel, they still discovered some oddities.

First, it was clear that Shiloh had something to hide, since her security was well beyond anything they have seen. Secondly, while more secluded, Shiloh's house was located behind the factory, effectively shielded from the forest trail on the West side, the forest to the north, the access road to the east and partially hidden by the factory to the south, making it look as if it was part of the structure.

What was even more peculiar was that there were no signs of life anywhere near the factory – no cute little bunnies, critters or even birds. It was as if the whole animal kingdom decided to avoid the area. Dylan and his team felt uncomfortable, it was true, but not enough to make them leave.

That was precisely the reason why Nigel contacted Shiloh. He found it odd that three wolves, bear-like wolves in all honesty, would come that close to their electro-magnetic and partially radioactive fence. The radiation was minor and was harmless to living beings. It only rubbed the animals the wrong way, making them skedaddle back into the woods.

The three large wolves, however, seemed persistent. Since odd animal behavior wasn't his area of expertise, he contacted his boss, asking for advice.

Hearing about the unusual occurrence back at the factory, Shiloh remembered how Evelyn told her that wolves did indeed roam the forest, but were harmless. Nevertheless, Shiloh looked over the video footage to see if she could understand why these wild animals would come so close to a human settlement. She didn't know much about wolves, other than what books and scientific articles could teach her, but even she knew that it was odd. And Nigel mentioned they were big. She was sure he exaggerated, but it seemed almost impossible. It wasn't in his nature to do that.

The moment she opened the video file and watched the three wolves, she knew her assistant was right. They were huge. She had never seen a wolf that big. It must be a genetic mutation. Either Mother Nature seriously put them on steroids or, worse, a lab did some horrific experiment and tortured these poor souls. Either way, that wasn't normal.

"Stand by, Nigel,"she commanded.

"What are you planning to do?" came his voice.

"Deploy nine Strawberries, three for each wolf. I will guide them into their muzzles, but I need you to create a distraction, so that they growl or howl or something," Shiloh mused.

"Or something," Nigel repeated. Deciding that the best way to ensure the animals would open their large mouths enough for Shiloh to deploy the nanobots, was to make them sneeze. Yawning would have been better, but they didn't currently have something that would make three overly large wolves sleepy and forcing them to yawn. Sneezing would do.

Nigel prepared the substance he would use. He knew that if he would go outside the wolves might get startled and run away, so he used a modified drone that Shiloh used to spray her plants in the lab. He replaced the water bottle inside the small device with the liquid that he was certain would cause the wolves to sneeze, and went towards one of the side exits that was hidden from the wolves' view.

At Shiloh's signal, he deployed the drone, which started spraying the nose-tickling liquid, and sure enough, the three oversized wolves started sneezing, offering Shiloh a great opportunity to fly the tiny bots into the otherwise terrifying muzzles.

Unbeknownst to Dylan and his men, they had just swallowed each three tiny bots that would slowly analyze their anatomy.

Shiloh was proud of herself and Nigel. It wasn't like they solved a murder mystery like Poirot or Holmes, but they still got a step closer to finding out why the animals were so adamant to coming to the factory when there was no game to hunt or even garbage cans to rummage through. Also, the sheer size of them was a mystery in itself, that Shiloh vowed to solve. There weren't many things that Shiloh could do, but solving puzzles was always the highlight of her day.


	6. Chapter 6

It was ten a.m. It has been a week since Cameron met his mate, and just as long since he last saw her. He hoped that if he would sneak around her factory she would show herself, even by accident but it seemed like the earth had swallowed her whole.

Maybe Nigel spoke the truth, and she did leave town to go on a trip. He couldn't even smell her enticing scent which bothered him even more than he cared to admit.

Even his trusted friend and Beta had nothing new to report. He and his team stayed out for a long while during the night, but at some point after two a.m., Cameron mind linked them, telling them to go home to their mates and have a goodnight's sleep.

He envied them. They had a mate to go home to, while his was gone. Only the Goddess knew where she was and what she did. He could only hope that she was safe and that no other man had touched her. But all his worries would fade soon and be replaced with even bigger ones and definitely more questions. If Cameron thought he had the biggest secret in their still-non-existent relationship, then he had another thing coming.

Cameron found himself in Alexander's office again, and unlike the weeks before, his sole focus was on his mate. Alexander had tried to calm him down, but even he found it strange and nerve-wrecking that the young woman was missing for so long. He didn't want to say anything to Cameron, but he asked Evelyn to go and check if perhaps Shiloh had come home and hoped that she was just too busy with work. It wasn't as if Shiloh owed them a phone call. Just as he tried to reassure his son that he hadn't blown his chances, someone came barging into his office.

"Alpha, you'll never believe this," Dylan practically shouted.

Both father and son looked at the Beta and wondered what in the Goddess' name could have happened to freak him out.

"Dylan, calm down. What happened?" Alexander asked, but just then, an infernal sound was heard above them. Whatever it was, it casted a shadow over the mayor's office, followed by a loud crash.

Rushing outside, the three men went to see what happened, when their attention was directed towards a dust cloud coming from the area Cameron's house stood. Without thinking twice, Cameron bolted towards his house wondering what the hell that thing was.

He heard several pack members mind linking him, some asking questions, others talking about UFOs and whatnot. Cameron wasn't one to believe in nonsense like aliens and UFOs, but something sure as hell crashed into his house. The question was – what?

As he reached the impact site, Cameron stopped to assess the damage. Dylan and Alexander already ordered the other wolves who came to see what had happened to move aside. Cameron had to admit, whatever that thing was that crashed into his house, it looked like it came out of Star Wars. He swore, if Han Solo would come out of that thing, he'd revisit every conspiracy theory ever and look at it in a different light.

Dylan and Alexander made sure that everyone was moving backwards to avoid anyone getting hurt. Cameron was too curious, though, and moved closer to the metal monstrosity currently parked in what once was his living room. But as he approached it apprehensively a buzzing sound followed by a hiss was heard, capturing everyone's attention.

Every pair of eyes was directed towards the UFO in their Alpha's house as a door opened and an eerie red light shone from the inside. Not a minute later, a strange figure, dressed in a dark suit, with what looked like a metal backpack and a shiny silvery helmet emerged from inside, making Cameron seriously question all he ever knew about the world.

The mysterious alien heaved itself out of its ship and stumbled outside while holding their left side. A part of Cameron wanted to go and help whoever or whatever the alien was, but another part of him held back. He had no idea who this person was and he sure as hell didn't want to scare it.

The alien seemed to look up for a moment, seeing the large number of curious people gathered around Cameron's house, before slightly hanging their head forwards. Cameron watched with rapt attention as the figure turned around and returned inside the metal craft.

Cameron looked around as well, and saw that his pack was just as speechless and stunned as he was. They were all witnessing something incredible but it only seemed to him as if he was watching a movie.

The figure reached inside its ship and grabbed several Frisbee-sized rings. Cameron wondered what that was all about and he had a feeling, the alien was going to play fetch with them. Realizing that the rings might be some sort of alien weapon, Cameron ordered his people to step further back, while subconsciously taking a step forward. To his surprise, though, the figure started throwing the rings at its own ship, making them stick to the outside walls and lighten up a neon blue.

A car behind him came to a stop with a screech, and every pair of eyes landed on the white car that looked as if it came from the future. Cameron had never seen a car like that, at least not outside of a movie theater.

The car doors opened and his mother along with Shiloh's assistant got out. Evelyn went straight to her mate, while Nigel went to the back of the car, retrieving a curious machine. It looked like a sensory deprivation tank but it was mainly made of glass. Nigel rolled it closer to towards the alien spacecraft, when the alien stepped forward.

"Are you alright," Nigel asked calmly.

The figure before them shook its head, and pointed towards its helmet. Nigel took that as an invitation to help the alien out of its helmet but with the figure slightly hunching forward and Nigel standing in front of it, Cameron couldn't see what the alien looked like.

"Fucking meteoroid! There are like a gazillion pieces of junk floating around Earth, yet the meteoroid hits me. Just my fucking luck!"

Cameron froze. The alien sounded a lot like Shiloh. Realizing that it actually was her, he stepped closer to look at her. She didn't even acknowledge his existence and instead asked Nigel to help her out of her suit. Cameron could only stare as she stripped in the middle of the street, right in front of his now nearly demolished house. His attention soon shifted to her left side where a piece of metal was stuck in her lower abdomen.

"You are hurt," he suddenly told her, and Shiloh finally looked up.

"I'm fine," she answered dismissively.

Her attention was then turned to Nigel, whom she ordered to bring 'the building cubes'. Cameron wondered what the hell she was worrying about, when her sole focus should be on the blood-oozing wound in her fragile little body. He reached out to touch her, and the moment they made contact, both of them felt the familiar sparks. Shiloh looked at him with confusion and he tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace as he was so worried about her.

"I need to take you to the hospital," Cameron started, but then a strange sound was heard and he turned his head towards where it came from.

He, along with the rest of his pack gathered in front of his house, looked in wonder as the spacecraft lifted itself off the ground enough to levitate out of the house, rise above them and fly towards the woods where Shiloh's factory was. Remembering her injury, Cameron looked back to where Shiloh was supposed to be, but she was gone. How did she always do that, Cameron wondered. It was frustrating to Cameron to always lose his mate when she was standing right next to him.

As he looked around, he noticed her inside the strange tank as little drills and needles came out of the metal side of the strange cylinder-shaped machine right where Shiloh's head lay. He went closer to look at what was happening, having a million questions run through his head.

Shiloh's eyes were closed, but she could still hear everything. This wasn't the first time she entered the med pod to fix herself up, but she had to admit, while she came plummeting down to Earth, she saw her whole life happening before her. She had a few regrets, a few things she wanted to do before dying. She didn't think she'd survive, but she should have trusted her own abilities more. After all, she build the Lady Bug and she knew what her spacecraft could withstand.

She could hear Cameron ask Nigel questions, heard his concern but couldn't understand why he would care so much. They had just met. Surely he had better things to do than be here, worry about more important people than her.

"What is this thing? What is happening to her?" he growled, and Shiloh opened her eyes.

"Leave him," Shiloh's raspy voice came, and Cameron let go of Nigel, whom he grabbed by the collar.

"What is this thing?" Cameron asked again, but his voice was gentle and soothing. Shiloh almost purred in delight at hearing his voice, the concern and affection in it made her feel light as a feather.

"It's a med pod. I invented it. It is basically an operation room without a doctor. It fixes you. My injury isn't too bad. It's a flesh wound and it will be easily fixed," she tried to explain, but wasn't sure if she made sense to him.

"I'd rather have a doctor look at you," he told her firmly, but kept his voice anger-free.

"I don't need one. This ain't my first rodeo, cowboy," she said jokingly.

She had no clue where that even came from, but whenever she was near him, she felt silly and almost intoxicated. Why did she feel that way? Was it because he was so damn sexy? Probably. Damn, he looked like a Norse god! And that smell, hell yeah! He always smelled so good, like musk and sandalwood. If she could find out what cologne he used, she would buy it and spray it on her pillow so that she could fall asleep with his scent in her nostrils.

Fuck! She needed to focus. The man had a girlfriend. She better stayed out of it. She wasn't a home wrecker. Besides, why would she even want a relationship with anyone, if she was doomed to leave them soon? That would have been unfair to them.

Hearing her say that this wasn't her first injury made Cameron's blood boil. She was injured before? The same way? Worse? He could feel his wolf clawing his way to the surface, and Cameron had a hard time keeping him calm.

"Seriously, you don't need to worry about me," Shiloh's voice came. Cameron looked straight at her and his eyes softened. He felt his wolf whimper. How could she ask him not to worry? She was his mate, the other half of his soul. He would be nothing without her. But then, she didn't know all that, did she?

"I can't," he admitted, his voice defeated. He didn't know what to do. He felt helpless in so many ways. All he wanted was to touch her, hold her, kiss her, never letting her go, but he couldn't. Not until she knew about him. Not until she accepted him.

Shiloh gave him a strange look. She was confused by what he said and did. She couldn't help herself, and asked if he thought it appropriate for him to be so worried about her, when he had a girlfriend.

Cameron's eyes would have popped out if they wouldn't have narrowed two seconds later. What did she ask? A girlfriend? What the hell? Why would...

His question remained unasked, since he realized what she meant. Roxanne. She saw Roxanne kiss him and just assumed they were dating.

"Shiloh, it's not what you think, I swear," he started saying.

He could faintly hear sounds behind him, but he was too focused on his mate and this ridiculous idea of hers that he was with another woman. There would ever be her. No one will ever take her place.

"Roxanne and I had a brief affair years ago, but I broke it off, and asked her to leave me alone. She was gone for a while, studying," he quickly added, and saw Shiloh nod, "but I am single," he said, and the word felt like ash in his mouth. He wasn't single. He had a mate, but until she accepted him, he was in a romantic limbo.

"Oh," came Shiloh's surprised voice. "I just thought, because you and her," Shiloh trailed off, and Cameron watched her carefully.

A cute little blush crept into her cheeks, and she bit her bottom lip, which only made her look even sexier to Cameron. But then, it dawned on him. She saw Roxanne kiss him. He just assumed she was hurt because of that, but she wasn't like the she-wolves. As a human, she processed her feelings and emotions differently. The mate bond did tell her that she was attracted to him, but she couldn't understand why. Yet, seeing him with another woman made her jealous. She was jealous. Perhaps, she didn't even realize it. A smile crept on his face, and he fought it back. It wasn't the time to be smug about anything. Shiloh was hurt and he needed to know that she was alright.

A beeping sound pulled him out of his own thoughts. He looked up, and saw the med pod open. He didn't know what that meant, but by Shiloh's smile he figured it was something good.

It was when she attempted to stand up that Cameron realized she was half-naked. He immediately unbuttoned his shirt enough to pull it over his head, putting it over her lithe, little frame, covering her up from the curious eyes of unmated wolves in his pack. She was his!

Shiloh looked at him confused when he started unbuttoning, but her mind was quickly turned into pudding when she got to admire his chiseled chest and abs. Damn, he looked so good! If she would have died in that instant, Shiloh was sure she would have died a happy woman. The urge to touch him was great but before she could give in, she felt him pull his shirt over her head, covering her up.

That smell! His smell!

Shiloh purred in delight as she allowed herself to be enveloped by his scent and closed her eyes to savor that brief moment of bliss before she had to remember reality. He was the forbidden fruit and she needed to stay away. He was just nice. It didn't matter that he was single. They could never be together. Life itself was against them.

Cameron nearly fainted when he saw her reaction to his undressed state. When she purred upon being enveloped by his scent, he almost growled in satisfaction and lust. The mate bond was getting stronger, he could feel it. Each moment they spent together, meant she would give in more, and when the time came for him to tell her all about lycanthropes and them being mates, she would take it better. He hoped.

The spell was broken when her obnoxious assistant came to check on her. Shiloh's attention was immediately on the strange Englishman with no scent. They were talking about things Cameron couldn't understand and it drove him crazy.

"I should go home," she said, finally looking up at him. He wanted to protest, but didn't get a chance. Shiloh stood on her tip-toes and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. He melted against her touch but it was over too soon for his liking.

"You should let me take you to the hospital to be checked by a doctor," Cameron tried to reason with her.

"I'm absolutely fine, I promise," she assured. She then turned her head towards the house she had crashed in and grimaced. She needed to find the owner and apologize. The house would be ready by nightfall, thanks to some devices she created a while back. Still, she needed to face the person whose house she almost completely wrecked.

"What?" Cameron asked, following her gaze towards his house. Just then, he realized that the whole building was covered in a cream-colored canvas. What the hell? When did that happen?

"Um, Cameron, who lives in the house?" Shiloh asked. His attention was back on his mate and he smiled.

"Mine." Her eyes widened for a moment, and then she looked back at the house.

"Oops,"she said and a small smile found its way onto her delicate face.

"It's okay. I can fix the house," he told her honestly. "The important thing is that you are alright."

"I'll fix it. It'll be done by the time you go to bed," she promised, and he gave her a skeptical look. No way in hell could she do that until nightfall. "I have to go. Bye, Cameron."

Without looking at anyone else, Shiloh hurried into the car where Nigel already waited. He had already packed the med pod and all the other evidence of them being there, and would later send a unit to fix the concrete of the street that got damaged by Shiloh's crash landing.

Cameron was torn as he watched her drive away with a man he still knew nothing about and didn't trust one bit. Shiloh might have said she was okay, but Cameron doubted it. He needed to be sure. Unfortunately, some of his patrols alerted him of several rogues coming dangerously close to pack borders and he needed to go there.

"Go," Dylan told him. "I'll take Marco and Jed with me," his Beta reassured him. Dylan was the only one, besides his family, who knew that Shiloh was his mate. They all knew it was important to keep quiet for the time being, since they didn't want to scare Shiloh away.

Cameron nodded and reluctantly left to deal with the rogues.


	7. Chapter 7

Shiloh returned home in no time and immediately went to take a shower. She was grateful for the moment of peace and quiet that she had, especially after the strange morning she experienced. It wasn’t the first time when she got hurt, but it was definitely scary.

Shaking the upsetting thoughts out of her head, Shiloh remembered Cameron’s concerned eyes when he learnt that it was her in the spacecraft and that she got injured. Ever since she met him, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. It didn’t matter that she kept telling herself that it would be a bad idea to indulge into anything romantic, even if it broke her heart being away from him.

That was even more confusing, given that she only just met the guy. She felt as if someone put a spell on her. There hasn’t been a day since they met that she hadn’t thought of him; it hadn’t been a night since they met that she hadn’t dreamt of him. In all fairness, Cameron burrowed his way into her mind and heart without much effort and it both confused and frightened Shiloh.

If Cameron was able to do that after just a couple of brief encounters, how could she keep herself from falling for the guy?

Under normal circumstances, Shiloh wouldn’t have given him a second of her time, and not just because of her current condition, which she constantly had to remind herself of. It was more because she didn’t believe a man like Cameron would be interested in someone like her. At least nothing more than a sexual relationship. Perhaps, if she would indulge in that desire, keeping whatever they had in a friends-with-benefits kind of relationship it wouldn’t be so hard for him to let go once the time came.

However, as much as Cameron looked like the player type, the truth was, Shiloh didn’t know him. He seemed too concerned for her wellbeing earlier that day to be interested in her as just a random sex buddy. That, of course, would have been wonderful if her health wouldn’t have been as deteriorated as it was. If Cameron sought out a romantic relationship with her, beyond the physical, then Shiloh couldn’t give in. He seemed a good enough person to not be put through her ‘episodes’.

No. She couldn’t do that. Even if he was just a player and only wanted her as a sex friend, she couldn’t allow him to get too close to her.

It was already hard enough for her to accept her fate herself, she didn’t want to deal with other people’s emotions regarding her health.

“Shiloh?” came Nigel’s voice through the intercom.

“I’m in the shower. Can it wait?” she asked, her voice showing her annoyance.

“The wolves are back,” he replied casually.

At the mention of the large wolves, Shiloh finished her relaxing shower, and dried off. All she wanted was to put his shirt back on, allowing it to calm her down. She didn’t know why his simple scent calmed her to the point of bliss, but it did. However, she didn’t want to damage it, and decided to put on some dark grey capris and a black tank top. Her short hair was still wet but she decided to just let it dry naturally.

Shiloh went into her lab, where she had monitors that showed everything her hidden cameras picked up. Just like Nigel had informed her, the three wolves had returned, rounding her lab curiously. Shiloh couldn’t understand why they did that. She didn’t know much about wolves, at least nothing too extensive when it came to behavioral patterns, but she knew that what they did was odd. It was almost as if they were looking for something.

Remembering that in the wee hours of that day she had deployed nanobots into the three wolves’ bodies, Shiloh asked her AI, Sarah, to show her the results of the scans that were performed.

Shiloh read the results of the blood tests, tissue samples and even gathered information on their metabolism. Everything she read seemed odd. Then again, the size of the animals was just as odd. Perhaps it was due to their size that the results came back so peculiar.

“Did you run a DNA test?” Shiloh asked the AI.

“Yes. Here are the results,” Sarah answered, projecting the three DNA structures.

Taking a step closer to the holographs of the three structures, Shiloh noticed that they looked different from a regular wolf’s.

“Sarah, did you record the progression of blood, metabolism and DNA throughout the day?” she asked curiously.

“Yes. Here it is,” the AI replied, and a new holograph appeared showing the progression of the results from the moment the wolves ingested the nanobots throughout several hours. But around 2.30 a.m., Shiloh noticed that the DNA structure changed slightly. If she wouldn’t have paid close attention to it she might have missed it. The DNA strand seemed to resemble a human one more than a wolf, yet it wasn’t.

As Shiloh stared at the anomaly of the DNA structure before her, a thought crossed her mind. Somewhere in her mind palace, Shiloh had stored the memory of a similar structure. Thinking back at the time she first saw it, she also remembered where she saved it on her server.

“Sarah, please bring up DNA sample JD0856,” she ordered her AI. Within seconds, the AI complied and a fourth DNA structure appeared.

Comparing the old structure with the three new ones, Shiloh couldn’t help but gasp. They looked almost identical. Sure, they weren’t exactly the same, but the core structure that determines the species was the same.

Shiloh needed to perform some more tests. Ordering Sarah to lower the electro-magnetic force field around her factory to ten percent, Shiloh instructed Nigel to prepare the trap doors to the lab on Level 4.

As her two loyal assistants followed her orders to the letter, Shiloh watched as the three bear-sized wolves stepped onto her land, cautiously taking one step at the time. Shiloh would have considered them foolish to just trust the invisible force that allowed them to pass through the fence, but was glad when they seemed to relax a little. Thankfully, this time Nigel had a powerful sleeping agent available to knock the three wolves out. Within seconds of the gas being released around them, the wolves collapsed to the ground with a thud. Thankfully, the three large animals landed on the hatch to the underground hangar for Shiloh’s Lady Bug, and made it so much easier for Nigel to transport each of them to their designated cell.

While Shiloh had no intention of hurting the poor animals, she knew that wild creatures would be unpredictable in the face of danger. However, she needed to test a theory. Make that two, actually. One was still something she couldn’t wrap her head around, but was willing to keep an open mind. The other was that these animals used to be regular wolves who were experimented on by some evil scientist turning them into these gigantic beasts. If the latter was the case, the wolves might have escaped a terrible fate, but that also meant that who created them wanted them back, if for no other reason than to kill them to hide evidence of their atrocities.

Shiloh shuddered at the thought. She didn’t consider herself a very good person, and yes, she did eat meat and occasionally had to run some tests on lab mice, but she tried to keep that to a minimum. Other scientists weren’t as considered and openly admitted torturing innocent beings who were defenseless before their captors.

Knowing that the three wolves would be knocked out for a few hours at least, Shiloh went about her day, but ordering Sarah to alert her the moment one or all of them would wake up, while in the meantime keeping a close watch on them and their unusual DNA and metabolism.

On the other side of town, Cameron had just finished locking up two rogues that stayed alive after they foolishly attacked his pack. How dumb could they get? Disgusted by his own appearance and smell, Cameron wanted to head home to take a shower, but then remembered his house was technically in ruins after his lovely mate crashed into it with her spaceship. Even those words sounded so ridiculous Cameron laughed out loud.

“What’s so funny, bro?” Noah asked his older brother. Noah was Cameron’s Gamma and in charge of training the wolves. He was just as well built as his brother and father, but slightly shorter, at 6’4’’. Noah had his father’s dark hair, which he wore short, unlike Cameron, and his mother’s hazel eyes.

“I just thought of what happened this morning,” Cameron answered, but got serious again.

“You mean, when your mate trashed your house with her spaceship?” Noah inquired, knowingly. Cameron just nodded. “I wonder where she got it from.”

“You and me both, brother,” Cameron admitted.

“Any news from Dylan and his team?” Noah asked, and Cameron stopped abruptly.

He tried to mind link Dylan, but he couldn’t. Either Dylan was blocking him or he was unconscious. The thought of his best friend in trouble made his stomach flip. What if rogues attacked from the other side as well.But why wouldn’t Dylan, Marco or Jed report back?

Cameron tried a few more times with all three of his men, but none replied. It was as if they were gone. Not having his house to go back to, Cameron mind linked his dad and informed him of the unusual situation and asked if he could take a shower at his parents’ place.

Alexander immediately agreed, and told him that he would gather the pack’s best warriors to investigate the sudden disappearance of the pack’s Beta and his two most trusted men. Cameron was thankful, and prayed to the Goddess that his men, as well as his mate were all safe and sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys. This is my first real attempt to writing a werewolf story and I hope you enjoy it so far. I have written lots of fan fiction, mostly Divergent and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but wanted to try out something new. It would be great if you would leave a comment, so that I know what you think of ‘Bionic Luna’ so far. Thanks and happy reading from here on out.


	8. Chapter 8

Shiloh was just finishing a new design, when Sarah alerted her of a change in the wolves’ DNA. Wanting to see with her own eyes what went on, Shiloh pulled up the video footage of the three cells. What she saw left her speechless.

Where once lay three wolves were now three men; three very naked men. Shiloh knew that it was a possibility, but she was too logical to admit that a myth was real. Yet the proof of it was staring her right in the eyes or rather she was staring at its naked form.

Blushing violently, Shiloh ordered Nigel to bring them some clothes and prepare a meal for them. She herself went downstairs to where their cells were located, knowing that soon enough they would wake up. But as she moved to stand up, one of the men turned around and she recognized him. It was the same guy that was talking to Cameron that morning.

Did Cameron know that this man was a… was she really ready to admit it out loud? Evidence pointed towards it. Why should she deny it? Because it is so ridiculous, she thought to herself. Or is it?

Shaking her head, Shiloh hurried downstairs, just in time as Nigel exited the room where the three men were still in their cells. The cells weren’t actually prison cells, but cubes. Technically, the room was meant for the storage of devices Shiloh didn’t need anymore, but seeing that she had no other option, she put the three wolves in there. Locked with a bulletproof glass door, the cubes kept the wolves inside until Shiloh could figure out if they were dangerous or, worse, if someone was dangerous to them.

“Are they decent?” Shiloh asked her assistant.

“I just handed them their clothes through a crack in each cell,” Nigel replied, and Shiloh frowned.

“Why didn’t you let them out?” she inquired curiously.

“You didn’t tell me to,” he replied in his trademark calm voice. Shiloh rolled her eyes and ordered him to go make them something to eat since she herself felt a little peckish.

Shiloh entered the room and immediately got slammed against one of the cells. She didn’t fight back, wanting to assure her attacker that she wasn’t a threat. Sure, she drugged and encaged them, but she never meant to hurt them. A loud growl made her shudder and she almost expected someone to slit her throat or strangle her to death, instead the person holding her was pulled backwards.

Shiloh fell to her knees, and gasped for air, more to calm herself down then to fill her lungs with oxygen. She had to admit, she was a little scared. What was she thinking? She tip-toed around the notion yet was unwilling to admit it out loud.

They were werewolves. Apex predators that could easily kill her right on the spot. In her defense, she wasn’t sure they were werewolves when she drugged them. Thinking of that made her cringe. What was she thinking?

“Shiloh, are you alright?” came the voice of one of the men. Shiloh turned around with apprehension, looking the man in the eyes. He was the one who talked to Cameron earlier but she didn’t know his name. “Shiloh?” he repeated her name, concern laced in his voice along with frustration, she thought.

Shiloh only nodded and briefly looked at the men. He was handsome, with short black hair, warm brown eyes, a pointy nose and thin lips. His body was the body of an underwear model, yet he didn’t even come close to the gorgeousness that was Cameron. Blushing because of where her thoughts took her, she looked down, only to entertain an even darker shade of red as she realized that the man kneeling next to her was stark naked.

Dylan, seeing her deep blush, smiled smugly at her reaction, and ordered his men to put the clothes on that her assistant brought them. He too stood up and hurried to put the generic overall on not wanting to make her more uncomfortable. Not to mention, Cameron would have their heads if they flaunted their junks in Shiloh’s face.

“Are you decent?” she asked shyly.

“Yes, we are. You can turn around now,” Dylan told her, his voice amused.

Shiloh did so, and looked up from where she was still on the ground. Dylan offered her his hand and she took it with a sheepish smile.

“Thanks,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Mind telling me why you captured us?” he asked and tried to reassure her that he wasn’t angry. If anything, he kind of understood her reaction. Three oversized wolves lurking around her factory. Of course, she would get curious or even scared. Though, the fact that she managed to capture them was a feat in itself, and it made him proud that his Luna was so ingenious.

“Uh, yeah, about that. I’m really sorry,” Shiloh said, and Dylan was surprised.

“You drugged us,” Marco growled at her, making her flinch. Dylan gave him a death glare and tried to mind link him, but he couldn’t. He then tried to alert his Alpha but nothing happened. He needed to ask her about it, but wasn’t sure how.

“Marco, enough!” Dylan ordered.

“I’m sorry,” Shiloh said again, and Dylan’s attention was back on her. She seemed shy around them and it bothered him. She would be their leader soon, along with Cameron. But she was human and didn’t know all those things.

“It’s okay. We would have probably done the same if someone came to our house and we wouldn’t have known what they wanted,” he told her, but looked pointedly at his men, telling them with his eyes to be gentle.

“I thought you came here to seek refuge,” she told them. She wasn’t sure of that, but knew that there must have been a reason for their nightly visits.

“Why would you think that?” Jed asked her, and Shiloh looked at him.

“I, I,” she started stuttering, and Jed took a step closer, smiling while doing so. He understood from Dylan’s attitude towards the girl that they weren’t to frighten her, and he wasn’t one to disobey the Beta.

“It’s okay, Shiloh,” Dylan said again and Shiloh scowled.

“How do you know my name?” she asked and looked at each of the men.

“You are new in town. Everyone knows you,” he answered her with a smirk. Shiloh rolled her eyes at the obviousness and mentally slapped herself for asking idiotic questions. “I’m Dylan, by the way, and these are Jed,” he pointed to his left, “and Marco,” he then pointed to his right. “We won’t harm you. I give you my word.”

Shiloh shouldn’t have trusted them. Wasn’t that what the wolf in Red Riding Hood said before he ate her? Giving them a skeptical look, Dylan smiled anew. Shiloh noticed that he did that a lot but wasn’t sure if it was reassuring or disturbing.

“Would you mind telling us why we’re here?” Marco finally asked, his voice softer than before. Realizing that the girl was important to his Alpha, for a yet unknown reason, he decided to be nice until ordered otherwise.

“Well, to be honest, I wasn’t entirely convinced that you were, you know,” she started explaining, and gestured around with her hands making Jed chuckle.

“You can say it. We won’t bite,” he joked, and despite the real possibility that they could rip her apart, Shiloh felt at ease with them and nodded.

“I wasn’t sure you were werewolves. Honestly, I was almost convinced you were test subjects,” she told them and got serious. The mere idea of that made her shiver.

“You mean, lab animals?” Marco inquired, just to be sure.

“Yes. I’ve seen labs all over the world that would perform cruel tests on animals. I tried to stop a few, where I knew my voice meant something. Thankfully, in most cases I could help, but it also made other labs be more cautious about who they allowed into their facilities. When Nigel told me you guys were rounding the factory every night while I was gone, I thought he exaggerated, but then I saw you and my first thought was someone did some terrible things to you,” she explained, fighting back tears.

Dylan might not have been able to mind link his men or Cameron but that didn’t stop him from using his werewolf instincts to assess the human. He could see how much it pained her to talk about these things. Even after she captured them, she had no intention of hurting them. He listened to her heartbeat the whole time and he could tell that she wasn’t lying. Jed and Marco then asked a few more questions, while the Beta just observed her.

Even as a human, she fought for the rights of those who had no voice. Her first thought when she saw him and his two warriors wasn’t that they were dangerous predators, but three wolves who escaped a lab where scientists had experimented on them, even tortured them.

He listened as Shiloh told them how she wanted to investigate if a lab like that was around before she would have let them go. As unbelievable as the whole thing was, he heard her heartbeat and knew that while she was nervous, she didn’t lie. If Shiloh was so kind towards wild and definitely dangerous animals, she would be even kinder and fiercer in protecting the pack once Cameron turned her and introduced her as his mate and Luna. Dylan smiled at the idea and was happy for his friend for finding someone so gentle yet strong.

While he was in his own bubble, Jed and Marco inquired about how Shiloh captured them and little by little the tension that Shiloh felt dissipated and the four of them started talking as if they would have known each other for years.

She invited them into the adjacent room where Nigel had already set the table. It wasn’t much, just lasagna and some mac and cheese but it was food nevertheless. The three men took a seat at the table and thanked her for her hospitality.

Eating at a table with the werewolves wasn’t as scary as Shiloh thought it would be. They were actually very nice and she had to admit, if they wanted to hurt her, they would have by now.

Shiloh took advantage of the situation and asked a few questions about what it meant to be a werewolf and how they transformed. The three wolves tried to explain it as best as they could, but it was hard when you didn’t experience it yourself. Or at least it was to them. When Shiloh asked if there were other werewolves in town, Dylan wasn’t sure if he should answer, and instead asked why he couldn’t contact his Alpha.

“Alpha?” Shiloh asked confused.

“Yes, our leader. The leader of a wolf pack is called an Alpha,” Dylan explained. Perhaps, there were more things she didn’t know, despite her saying that she did some research. Then again, humans usually read that phoney crap on the internet.

“Oh. I read several ancient texts from different parts of the world, but each had a different name for the pack leader.”

Shiloh continued with her explanation, amazing the three wolves even more. All they knew about their kind was passed on by the elders. Sure, they had books and stuff but she seemed to have done a more thorough job.

Dylan was impressed how a mere human gathered so much accurate information on lycanthropy without actually meeting a werewolf before. He was even more impressed when the wall behind her glowed a neon blue and Shiloh showed them the scanned texts she read. Each of the texts was in a different language and Shiloh explained that she preferred the original source rather than a translation. A lot of information gets lost in translation and she wanted to know things, not guess them. Jed was even stunned into silence when she told them how she tricked a priest at the Vatican into letting her photograph a few pages from an ancient Grimoire stored in the Vatican Archives.

“Wow, you do know your history,” Marco told her admiringly. Shiloh blushed at the compliment and dismissed it quickly.

“Nah, I actually only read up to the 8th century AD. You could say I am in dire need of a software update,” she joked and the three men laughed wholeheartedly.

“How did you figure we might be werewolves?” Jed inquired.

“Well, before I tell you that, I need to show you guys something,” Shiloh said, and went to grab an unused knife. She knew that she had to tell them about the nanobots in their system, but the best way, she figured, was to show that they were harmless since she herself had them inside her own body.

Putting the knife to her arm, Shiloh made a superficial incision, enough to draw blood, but not too much to put her life in danger. Dylan almost fainted at the sight when his future Luna harmed herself. Cameron would kill him if something would happen to his mate.

“What are you doing?” Marco asked panicked. As much as he wanted to strangle the girl when she first entered that strange dungeon of hers, as much he felt like he wanted to protect her from all the harm in the world. If he wouldn’t have had a mate, he would have almost thought that he felt a mating pull.

“It’s okay. Just watch,” Shiloh told them with a smile. The three wolves relaxed a little when they saw how calm she was and watched mesmerized at the open wound.

A moment later, little red lights glowed around the open wound on Shiloh’s arm, and triggered the rapid healing of the damaged cells. The three wolves watched her flabbergasted before Jed asked the million-dollar-question.

“How did you do that?” he inquired still befuddled.

“You see these tiny red lights?” she asked them, pointing her finger towards them. The three wolves nodded, their eyes glued to her arm. “They are nanobots. I injected myself with them. Their primary function is to monitor my health and give me feedback if something is wrong, say a headache or fever,” she explained and looked at the men. They all nodded, and she continued. “The secondary function is to heal. The deeper the wound, the more nanobots are required to heal the area. I have invented them for the military. I’ve seen many soldiers dying from wounds that could have been treated, but they were too far away from camp to get to the doctor. The nanobots also work as GPS trackers, which is a good thing on long-term missions where soldiers could get lost or captured. It provides their team leaders with their location and help ensure their successful rescue.”

The three men listened to her with fascination and wondered what kind of creature she really was. They knew that there were werewolves who hated humans, but their pack had none of those. As far as they could tell, Shiloh did amazing things for many people, and while they knew that they only scratched the surface of who Shiloh Andrews truly was, they knew she was an amazingly kind, caring and compassionate person. Dylan was more sure than ever that once she would become Luna of their pack she would do amazing things for all of them. Cameron was blessed to be mated to her.

“Do you think your Alpha will be very upset with me?” she asked after a while.

She had tried to find out again if there were more werewolves in Wolf’s Hill, although even an idiot would have figured out that a pack was a bit bigger than just four wolves, especially since all three men talked fondly about their mates. Dylan had insisted on the topic, knowing that at some point his best friend needed to broach it with his mate, and he figured it was better to give her a head’s up. To say she was shocked about the implication of having a mate reject you was an understatement.

Marco even gave her an example of a wolf who got rejected years prior and never recovered. Unbeknownst to him, he practically told her how Cameron would feel if she chose to reject him. It was hard even for the wolves who did the rejecting, not just the rejected. She was a human, though, and while Dylan knew that the mate bond was there and that she felt it, it was still too faint and confusing to her. He was confident that Shiloh would accept their Alpha, seeing that she literally broke down in tears when Marco described the physical pain of being away from your mate even for a short while.

“No, our Alpha is a great guy. He comes from a long line of good alphas. The only problem with him was he still hasn’t found his mate,” Jed commented.

Dylan watched with amused curiosity as Jed and Marco praised their Alpha without actually naming him. During a brief moment when Shiloh went to the bathroom, he told them to not reveal Cameron’s name and to just keep calling him Alpha.

“He sounds like a fair person. Still, I did hold you against your will and imprisoned you,” Shiloh told them remorsefully.

“Chill, girl. If all prisons would be like yours, I’d volunteer to be captured every day. Even your grub tasted delicious,” Jed joked with her which made her smile.

“Yeah, he’s right. You are a good cook,” Marco complimented, but Shiloh shook her head.

“That was actually Nigel,” she said with a fond smile, and all three of them frowned. “I would never expose you to my atrocious cooking,” she laughed, but the three wolves were still serious. Shiloh wasn’t sure what had happened. A moment before they were all joking and having fun, and then they all turned serious. Was it something she said?

“What?” she asked confused.

“We don’t trust him,” Dylan told her honestly, and Shiloh’s eyes widened.

“Who?”

“Your assistant,” offered Marco.

“Yeah, something’s fishy,” Jed chimed in.

“Why would you say that?” Shiloh asked, wondering if they had figured out what Nigel truly was.

“Shi,” Dylan said, and Shiloh smiled at the new pet name. She usually hated those, but given the fact that she practically kidnapped the three wolves she let it slide. Besides, it has been years since she had a casual dinner with friends, even though they weren’t actually her friends. “Nigel doesn’t have a scent,” he continued, and Shiloh frowned.

During their conversations, the three wolves explained many things to her about how wolves shifted and tracked other wolves. It was normal for them not to smell Nigel, since he wasn’t exactly a real person. But was she ready to tell them that? On the other hand, they did reveal a lot about themselves, making them vulnerable. If her CIA training taught her anything, it was to read facial cues, and she was certain that none of the three wolves would blab about Nigel’s true nature.

“Is that why you kept coming to the factory, because of Nigel?” she asked, figuring that the strange lack of smell on her assistant might have made the wolves curious. She could see why they would perceive him as a threat. She wanted to ease their minds, but also wanted to make sure.

“Yes. Us and our Alpha were worried about you,” Dylan told her honestly, and it warmed Shiloh’s heart. They didn’t even know her, yet they cared enough to make sure she was okay.

Shiloh reached out and placed her hand over Dylan’s on the table, smiling while doing so. She took a deep breath, knowing that her confession would shock them.

“The reason you can’t smell Nigel is because he isn’t a real person.”

“What?” all three asked in unison.

“Nigel isn’t human. He is an android.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Some of the truth is out, but there is so much more both Shiloh and the wolves need to learn.
> 
> What did you think of their reactions and how might they handle more crazy revelations?
> 
> Looking forward to your opinions.


	9. Chapter 9

It drove Cameron crazy that he hadn't heard anything from his wolves in hours. He even had his mom call Shiloh's factory, seemingly being the only one smart enough to have actually asked his mate for her number. All she got was a generic response from Nigel that Shiloh was resting. A part of him was glad, given that she was injured. He still couldn't wrap his head around the whole spaceship and med pod thing, but he decided to postpone worrying about that for a later time.

If only he could have contacted Dylan or one of his warriors to tell him what happened, but they were all missing. Deciding that it was too much to just wait around, they went to the last place they knew Dylan and his team was: Shiloh's factory.

Cameron organized two SUVs with wolves, his brother and father included, to drive to the factory and look for the missing wolves. He also hoped to be able to talk to his mate. It drove him crazy that she was so close yet untouchable.

As the two cars came to a stop at the front entrance, Cameron sensed the same strange energy around the place. Even the other wolves, who have never been to the factory could feel it, and were restless because of it.

Cameron debated if they should shift, but decided against it. He didn't want to frighten his mate with his wolfish appearance. If anything, he wanted to win her over not scare her away.

Just as all his warriors got out of the car, the front door to the factory opened and he could hear laughter. It was music to his ears because it belonged to his mate. He turned towards the entrance and saw Dylan walking backwards as he animatedly told Shiloh a story who kept laughing loudly, while Marco and Jed flanked her adding their own memories and impressions to Dylan's story.

"Girl, you should have been there. Prank of the year!" Dylan told her excitedly.

"Alpha," came Jed's shocked voice, and suddenly all four of them looked toward the small army Cameron brought with him.

Cameron's eyes narrowed when Jed called him that, scolding him through their mind link until he realized that they could do that again.

"Shi, I want to officially introduce you to our Alpha," Dylan said, turning to the young woman, offering her his arm to be escorted towards his leader.

"Dylan, what are you doing?" Cameron asked through his mind link.

"She figured it out on her own, bro," Dylan replied the same way. "Shi, this is our leader, Alpha Cameron Johnson," Dylan said looking towards his future Luna, while her eyes widened.

"You?" she asked incredulously. Cameron almost laughed at her expression, but tried to keep his cool. "Oh, crap!" she cussed and Cameron couldn't help the scowl that formed.

"I gather you hoped for someone more handsome," Dylan teased her, and she blushed violently.

"No, it's not that," she turned around slightly, trying to whisper, completely forgetting about the supernatural hearing werewolves have. "I think he is very handsome, but I fucking wrecked his house. Fuck! It's like I'm cursed or some shit," she whined, and both Dylan and Cameron barely held in their amusement.

"I'm sure it's fine. You could always offer him to stay at your house. Now that I've seen it, it looks way better than that shack he called a house," Dylan kept up the teasing, taking advantage of the situation to jab his friend. Cameron only rolled his eyes.

"I guess," Shiloh said more absentmindedly and turned around. "Listen, Alpha, Cameron, uh, what should I call you?" she asked unsure.

"Cameron is just fine," he told her with a loving smile, despite thinking that he would have her rather call him babe. His wolf purred at that thought.

"Cameron," Shiloh repeated, a smile finding its way onto her face. "I'm sorry for crashing into your house and I'm sorry I had you worried about your friends," she told him honestly. She really felt sorry.

During her time with Dylan, Marco and Jed in the underground chambers, they explained to her that wolves communicated through a mind link with each other, but were unable to do so while in her house. Shiloh knew that it wasn't so much the house, but the chambers underground and the hidden secret behind one of the doors there that kept the whole place void of signals. Once they were back on the surface, Dylan was able to mind link Marco and Jed but they were all too entranced by Shiloh and her stories of how she researched lycanthropy to even think of contacting Cameron. Dylan was sure he would get an earful from his Alpha.

"Shiloh, I've told you, I don't care about the house. I'm just glad you are okay. As for my friends, how come you didn't contact me?" he asked, giving the three wolves stern looks.

"That was my fault. You see, we were underground, and the chambers there are signal-proof, meaning no signal gets in and none gets out," Shiloh explained, causing Cameron to raise an eyebrow in question.

"What exactly happened, though?" Alexander inquired, making Shiloh look at the Mayor.

"Shiloh tricked us into coming closer onto her land and then released a sleeping gas that knocked us out for a few hours," Dylan jumped in, and told his Alpha proudly. Shiloh didn't quite understand why he seemed so smug about that but didn't comment.

"You did?" Alexander asked.

"Alexander, Shiloh is a freaking genius," Marco told them beaming.

It seemed to Cameron that his men formed a little Shiloh fan club and if he didn't know that they were all mated, he would have been jealous. Actually, he did feel jealousy. Unlike him, they had the opportunity to spend time with her and discuss all kinds of things. She even showed them her house.

While Dylan, Jed and Marco told the other wolves all the exciting things they'd seen in Shiloh's house, Cameron watched his mate intently, smiling at her cute blush. He could tell that she was embarrassed and didn't like the attention. He wanted nothing more than pull her into his arms, and let her bury her face into his chest to hide from everyone. Unfortunately, she still didn't know about them being mates.

Shiloh decided to invite the men inside her house, not wanting to cause any more bad blood between them and herself. She didn't know how long she would be in Wolf's Hill, but she didn't want them to be suspicious of her or think she might expose them. She had already promised Dylan and his men that she wouldn't say a word about them to anyone, ever, but she wasn't naïve and knew that in order for their Alpha to trust her, she needed to meet him halfway.

Cameron almost did a victory dance when Shiloh invited them all inside her house. Dylan and the guys weren't joking. Everything inside her house looked as if it came from the future, yet it looked warm and cozy. While she went into the kitchen to make coffee and bring in other refreshments, Cameron looked around her living room and noticed several pictures in frames hanging on one wall forming a tree. He went to study each one of them and smiled when he recognized that she had created her entire life from pictures. At the bottom of the tree was a sonogram, presumably Shiloh shortly before her birth. Then was a picture of a woman holding a newborn in her arms, watching it lovingly, while the father kissed the baby's head. The next pictures were of Shiloh as an infant and slowly showing her transformation into a cute little toddler.

Cameron noticed that Shiloh smiled in all her childhood pictures, making the person looking at the pictures smile in return. Or perhaps it was just Cameron.

"She was a really cute baby," Dylan said coming to stand next to his friend.

"Yeah," Cameron replied, but his mind already wandered to a future where they would hang pictures of their own children. He wouldn't mind having a little girl who looked just like her mommy, to spoil and protect her from all the bad things in the world.

"What are you guys doing?" Alexander asked, coming to look at the pictures as well.

"Have you guys noticed that after a while there are no more pictures of her parents?" Noah asked, and Cameron looked closely. It was true. The last picture he saw Shiloh with her parents was on Halloween where she was dressed up like Mario from Mario Bros. Why weren't there any more pictures of them?

"Hey, Shi, how come there aren't more pictures of you and your folks?" Jed asked right from behind Cameron. Hearing him ask that question, and dreading her answer, Cameron wanted to smash that idiot's head.

"I'm an orphan," she just replied, but everyone in the room could hear the sadness in her voice.

Cameron didn't care that they weren't mated yet or that she had no clue about them being mates. He took a couple of steps towards her, turned her around, pulling her into his arms and held her tightly to his chest.

The moment Cameron embraced her, Shiloh felt a million little explosions all over her body, and calmness settling over her that she hadn't felt in years. She wanted to fight the urge to hug him back, but something deep within her told her to give in. So, she did. She hugged him back and buried her face into his chest.

Cameron inhaled her scent, happy that she allowed the contact. Secretly, he wished that they were alone, that they could discuss them being mates and finally be together, but he wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he whispered into her ear. She only nodded and, to Cameron's delight, pressed herself closer to him.

"It's okay. It happened a long time ago," she whispered back, and if Cameron wouldn't have been a werewolf he might have not heard her.

"No, it's not, kitten. You lost them and it hurts you," he tried to comfort her.

Shiloh froze at the pet name he used. She hated pet names, but him calling her that, strangely, comforted her. However, she didn't comment.

The other men watched their Alpha carefully as he comforted the young woman. If they didn't know before that Shiloh was his mate, they knew now. Cameron might have been a ladies man when he was younger, but he was never one to be overly affectionate with any female. They all turned towards Alexander who just smiled and nodded. The men silently celebrated. Their Alpha had found his mate. They would finally have a Luna.

Shiloh felt so embarrassed by her weakness and tried to pull back, but Cameron wouldn't allow it. She moved her head so that she looked up at him and admired his beautiful face. Her favorite thing about his face was his scruff, after his eyes of course. It made him look manly and so god damn sexy that it made her panties wet. No matter how much Shiloh tried to convince herself that she wasn't seriously crushing on Cameron, she was. But he was a wolf. And according to Dylan and the others, every wolf had a mate and Cameron was looking for his. Even if it wasn't for her health issues, one day his mate might come along and Cameron would toss her aside for this mysterious woman. She didn't want that. She didn't want to deal with her feelings either.

"I'm okay," she finally spoke, and Cameron looked down at her, a charming smile on his face that made her knees go weak. "You can let go now," she said, but it was the farthest from what she actually wanted. What was that man doing to her that it made her lose her mind?

Cameron, reluctantly, let go of his mate and watched her as she stood before him, her head hanging. He wondered what kind of storm was inside of her that she kept herself so guarded. He couldn't figure her out. She was a mystery.

"I am sorry for your loss, Shiloh," came Alexander's voice, and Shiloh looked up.

"It's okay. I had time to get used to it," she replied, and even she heard the rawness in her voice. She was close to tears.

"No it's not, sweetheart. You must have been very young, judging by the pictures," Alexander insisted, and Shiloh smiled. Alexander had said the same thing as Cameron. It was clear to her that behind the roughness of their jobs, of their very nature, were two gentle creatures. Shiloh felt happiness flood her heart and made it skip a beat when she locked eyes with the younger Johnson.

"I was eight, actually," Shiloh confessed. It was the first time since it happened that Shiloh spoke of it. Even with her grandparents she avoided the conversation. What was done, was done. There was no reason to scratch open old wounds. "My parents were poor people but loved each other very much. They didn't need much to be happy. They sacrificed a lot to offer me a better future than they ever hoped to have for themselves and it was only because of my grandparents that they went on a little vacation, just the two of them. They were just returning home, when a truck driver fell asleep and crashed his eighteen-wheeler into their small Volkswagen, killing them instantly."

You could hear gasps as Shiloh gave away a piece of her very soul. She hadn't stopped thinking of her family, of her loss, but it was the first time since that time when she thought of the circumstances of her parents' deaths.

Noticing the grim air, Alexander decided to ask how Shiloh even considered researching werewolves. He was fascinated by the few things Dylan and his men told him of how she looked for actual proof instead of relying on pointless internet searches.

"A werewolf killed my grandfather when I was twelve," she answered. Shiloh herself didn't understand why she was so open with them, but she felt like she could trust them with her heart and soul and they all would keep them safe for her.

Alexander wished he would have never brought that up, but how could he have guessed the real reason of her inquiry? He briefly looked towards Dylan, wanting to check if he knew, but by the horrified look on his face, Alexander got his answer.

Silence fell over the room as the wolves watched their Luna. All of them felt a profound sadness for her yet admired the strength she seemed to exude as she stood in a room full of supernatural beings.

"Did it make you hate us? Our kind, I mean?" one of the wolves asked, and Shiloh's gaze fell on him. She turned her body so that she could face him properly.

"No, never. Even before I had the certainty that werewolves were real, I wouldn't have hated you. I am not naïve. I know how the world works. The strongest survive while the weak perish. My grandfather could have just as easily been killed by another human. Would that have made me hate all mankind? No."

The wolves were impressed by her answer, especially since many people, whether or not they knew about the existence of werewolves, hated others who were different. But that human girl, who had lost her parents, who had lost her grandfather found it in her to not look at them as monsters.

When one of them uttered that particular word, Shiloh cringed. Did she believe werewolves were monsters? No, of course not. If anything, they only acted on instinct and based on what Dylan and the others had told her, the Wolf's Hill Pack only killed when necessary. She on the other hand had far more blood on her hands and she wasn't sure if that would make them hate her or fear her or both.

"We all have light and darkness within us. A monster isn't necessarily someone who has a beastly appearance, but rather acts like one. Would I fear you in your wolf form if I would have met you in the woods? Perhaps. I certainly would have kept my distance. No matter how good my intentions are, a wild animal acts on instinct not logic. And to be fair, not even logic is a guarantee that you won't get killed. Some of the most vicious serial killers were highly intelligent and planned out their murders. So, do I see you as a monster because of your looks? No. Would I consider you a killer? Also, no. A predator sure, but not a killer," she explained, leaving everyone with their jaws dropped.

"My apologies," came Nigel's voice, and Cameron growled. Shiloh turned her head towards the werewolf leader and frowned. Right. Nigel. He didn't know about Nigel's nature.

She remembered how not an hour earlier she had told Dylan, Marco and Jed about Nigel's true nature, but it never came up with the other werewolves.

"Nigel, what is it?" she asked, but kept her eyes trained on Cameron.

"Gen. Ashwood requests a meeting at your earliest convenience," he reported matter-of-factly.

The wolves were a little surprised by the message but stayed quiet as they waited for their future Luna to answer her assistant. They also felt extremely uncomfortable in Cameron's presence, because they knew he had a very bad opinion of the Englishman.

"Does he want to come here or should I meet him somewhere else?" Shiloh asked without moving her gaze from Cameron who held hers firmly.

"He would like to come and see the new prototypes you had discussed during your last video conference," Nigel informed.

"Tell him, two weeks from Tuesday," Shiloh instructed and silently dismissed her assistant. The moment Nigel was gone, her eyes softened. "I know you guys are suspicious of Nigel because he has no scent, but you can calm down," she told them all, but kept looking at Cameron.

Cameron wondered why she was so calm about that man, but before he could dwell any longer, she revealed something he never expected.

"Nigel is an android," she said with a smug grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: More secrets are revealed and yet so many remain.
> 
> Leave a message so I know what you think.


	10. Chapter 10

The revelation that Shiloh's assistant wasn't human left all the wolves speechless. However, that was only the first time the future Luna of the Wolf's Hill Pack did that. In a moment of insanity, Shiloh figured it must have been that, she had decided to show them her factory, while silently instructing Sarah to pull the classified objects inside her facility out of sight. Some things still needed to stay hidden but a few were already on the market.

Walking through a long white corridor, the wolves wondered what the young woman would show them. More so, they wondered why at all. Sure, they were all curious to different degrees, but it was still odd.

"Welcome to Lunar Industries," Shiloh said proudly as they stepped over the threshold. The name was a homage to her parents, who were some sort of hippies, Shiloh concluded, and decided to name their baby girl Luna. Obviously, Luna was her middle name, which she tried to hide and keep out of official records, but she couldn't bring herself to legally change it or remove it altogether. Her parents must have been high or something when they decided to name her that, but it was a beautiful reminder that they loved each other so much that they gave life to her. How could she not honor that?

Cameron was a little taken aback by the name of Shiloh's facility, and he could hear the other wolves' thoughts, saying it is a sign from the Goddess that Shiloh would be a great Luna. He couldn't even express how proud he felt of that. Not only were they thinking highly of his mate, but they also had high hopes for her. Some of them even volunteered to protect her with their lives. Cameron only had to tell them when and where they should perform their duty. Smiling at his pack's enthusiasm, Cameron followed right behind Shiloh as she showed the small group of werewolves what she did for a living.

"You are an arms dealer?" Alexander asked shocked, at which Shiloh frowned.

"No!" she replied with indignation, but then her gaze softened. "Well, it's a bit more complicated. I design and develop new kinds of weapons, different from what is on the market. They are aimed to reduce casualties, civilian as well as military. I only sell to the government, mostly the military and a few law enforcement agencies in the country. The latter are in beta test right now and if the usage of my weapons turns out to be more effective than conventional guns, they might switch. You see, my weapons don't use bullets. Let me demonstrate," she told them excitedly.

The wolves watched as Shiloh went to pick up a gun that looked like Han Solo's. If Cameron was honest, the whole place looked like from a galaxy far, far away. The interior design of the factory was futuristic and glossy alike. Above them, drones flew around doing God knows what. The walls had display panels with a touch-screen feature. Shiloh didn't need employees since she had built her factory to work without them. The machines did everything. Cameron now understood why no one came to recruit personnel.

The factory in itself looked more like the reception room of an alien overlord. If you wouldn't see the assembly line, you'd think a party was about to start any minute. Cameron noted that everything was done efficiently and no space was left unused.

"I have designed different kinds of weapons, but the basics are the same. For instance this hand gun," she said, and held it up. "I have designed three damage modes. Mode I or the Stunning Mode is basically an electrical discharge like what you know from a regular stun gun. Unlike those, my weapons knock you out cold. Depending on the intensity with which your body is hit, you can stay knocked out a few minutes or a few hours. This mode is primarily used by the military in order to take prisoners and avoid either friendly fire or accidentally killing civilians. These weapons are also used by some zoos in the United States, since some animals are very large and dangerous. They are only used, though, when absolutely necessary."

Cameron looked at his pack who watched Shiloh with astonishment and admiration. He was a bit shocked when he learnt what she did for a living, never having guessed that a gentle and kind creature like her could even handle a weapon, let alone build one.

"Mode II or the Killing Mode does what it says. It works the same way as Mode I but more intense, causing the heart to stop. Field studies have shown that even after someone got hit with Mode II there were still chances they could have been revived," she explained, but scowled a little. Cameron wondered if she was disappointed her gun didn't work as efficiently as she had hoped or something else.

"What do you mean 'field studies'?" Noah inquired. "Don't tell me you had volunteers."

"No. Nothing so morbid. It was actually something that happened in the field, as in battlefield. A younger soldier accidentally shot another one. The medic on site resuscitated him and he is okay now. But it made me think. As sadistic and mad-scientist-like this may sound, after a confrontation between our troops and a terrorist group, the same medic suggested we test how long a body could last without a heartbeat. The conclusions to that inquiry were that if you die, chances are you stay dead. But like with every heart failure, if you get resuscitated in time, you might have a chance to a full recovery. Honestly, I'd much prefer they would only use Mode I, but I am not an idiot. Deadly force is sometimes the only way," she told them, before turning around to set the gun back down.

Cameron watched her carefully. Of course, she would hate seeing people getting killed with her weapons. Sure, she was the one building the weapons, but in the end, life is a struggle for survival. Werewolves knew that better than anyone.

"This is a different weapon. Originally, my weapons were supposed to have three modes, but I decided to build these separately, for moral reasons," Shiloh resumed, and everyone was curious to find out what the new weapon could do. "This weapon has only one mode, Mode III or the Vaporizing Mode. This weapon is used only in extreme cases. Those cases are usually suicide bombers. Are you familiar with those?" she asked around and some nodded their heads.

"Suicide bombers are people who strap bombs to their chests," Alexander answered for everyone.

"Correct. Those bombs are usually triggered by the bomber himself, unlike those with a timer. The bomber straps explosives to his body and holds the trigger in his hand. The moment he arrives at his destination, he puts his finger on the trigger. The bomb only detonates after he lifts that finger again. Technically, he is dead the moment he triggers the bomb. With me so far?" she asked and most wolves nodded. "Mode III deploys a modified electro-magnetic pulse that encases the bomber while also triggering the bomb. Normally, the bomb would explode, killing everything in its path and causing significant damage to the structure around it, because, as you know, these bombers usually target places with a high population density, such as malls or train stations. Mode III kills only them, because it keeps the resulted blast inside the bubble."

"Wow, that sounds so badass," Marco told her and she beamed at the praise.

Shiloh felt a surge of energy when she saw the positive response from the werewolves. She had no idea why nor did she understand why she felt she needed their approval. However, the more she opened up, the easier the burden on her shoulders felt. It was as if she was carrying the world and suddenly, other people joined her to not let her be crushed by it. She couldn't help but smile.

Empowered by their admiration and excitement, Shiloh proceeded to explain that a large part of the funding she received first time around, she used to design armor, not just body armor but also ways to protect aircraft and vehicles.

Cameron didn't understand all that science lingo she used and he doubted his wolves did either, but they let her explain since she seemed so happy to do it. It was fascinating to see how her mind worked, because behind all the science stuff and her high tech gadgets, Cameron could see the sensitive and vulnerable girl. He quickly understood that she didn't build the weapons for the money, but to reduce the loss of human lives. And even the profit she made, she used it to find ways to protect the soldiers who risked their lives for innocent civilians.

The wolves in Shiloh's factory beamed with pride at their Luna. Even as a mere human, she already did more for the people in the world, the people all around her than most Lunas did for their own packs. Everyone was so excited to learn all the sciency things she was into, that they asked a million questions. Shiloh laughed at their enthusiasm and promised to show them something awesome. Cheering loudly, the wolves followed their female leader into the hangar where her spaceship was still repaired.

"This is the Lady Bug," she introduced with a wide grin on her face. Everyone could see the pride in her eyes. "I have created it because of a dream I had as a kid. While most girls wanted to play house or dress up, I wanted what most boys wanted: an adventure. And what adventure was greater, than space? It was my childhood dream to become an astronaut, but since my path in life didn't take me there, I decided to correct that. I build myself a spaceship."

"Were you really in space when you crashed this morning into Alpha Cameron's house?" one wolf asked.

"Yes. I had to go up there to fix my satellite," she casually informed before tapping one of the wall panels and the lights dimmed down.

Shiloh showed them her satellite, seen from the Moon, and even showed them video footage of how she fixed it. She explained that she didn't trust the satellites of other companies or countries, and built one of her own. The wolves stared at the images with their mouths hanging open, until Jed asked in jest if she would take him up there.

"Of course, as soon as the Lady Bug is ready," she promised smiling. Jed's face went pale, since he had a fear of heights, but Marco and a few others quickly volunteered to make the trip with her. Shiloh laughed at her exuberance and just nodded.

"Would you take me too?" Cameron asked her after the wolves went to explore the hangar. Shiloh had told them to just step closer to the panels and ask Sarah, her AI, to explain things to them if they didn't understand.

Shiloh looked up at the handsome Alpha and found herself getting nervous. He was so tall and attractive that it made her dizzy, but in a good way; a very good way. Offering him a genuine smile, she nodded.

Cameron just wanted to ask her something else, when he saw her cringe. When he asked her, she just dismissed it, saying it was a mild headache, but he could feel her pain. Cameron was certain now that what he felt in the woods on the first night after he found her was her pain. If he was so affected by it, he was now certain that she was in excruciating pain. He wondered how she was able to handle it.

He had no time to ask her anything else because suddenly her beautiful face held an expression of horror. Just like in the forest during the Howl Festival, Shiloh stared into nothingness, scared out of her mind. Cameron had no idea what to do.

"Shiloh, what's wrong?" he asked her panicked, alerting the other wolves. They all came to see what was going on, but couldn't understand what had happened to scare their Luna so much. They didn't sense any danger.

"Nigel," Shiloh said, barely above a whisper.

"What about him?" Cameron inquired, confused as to why she would call the android.

"Sedative, quick," she mumbled, while still staring. Her eyes were extremely dilated, her body was trembling and her voice was shaking.

Shiloh looked at the deformed figure in horror. Why did he always come back? Why wouldn't he leave her alone? He was gone. He was dead. She saw him burn. Why was he back? Why was he haunting her?

"Leave me alone!" she screamed and felt a panic attack quickly coming. "You are dead! Leave me alone!"

The unnerving sound of his teeth gritting as he came closer to her made her blood run cold. She was sweating heavily and her heart was pounding, trying to jump out of her chest. The undead creature took a step closer to where she was and Shiloh tried to run but it was futile. She was rooted to the spot.

"You're not real! Leave me!" she screamed again.

Cameron and his wolves watched her confused and scared. They had no idea what was going on, but they could all feel and smell her fear. It was pure terror and they couldn't understand where it came from.

"Shiloh, what is going on?" Cameron asked, holding her by her arms gently as to not hurt her, but firm to shake her lightly. She didn't react to him at all, which concerned him even more.

"It is as if she is in a trance," Alexander commented.

"Do you think a witch put a spell on her?" Cameron asked.

"I don't know. I don't see why she would be a target," Alexander replied, still staring at the frightened girl. She appeared to not even see him or his son. It was as if she was looking right through them.

"Imminent danger," came Shiloh's AI, Sarah. They all looked around, not understanding what went on. What danger? They should have sensed something. Right? "Impending heart failure."

Just then, red lights behind Shiloh shone brightly, forming a human figure. Cameron realized that it was an image of Shiloh. Somehow, her AI scanned her. What concerned him most though, was the area were her heart was that glowed bright yellow, surrounded by little red dots.

"What is happening, Alpha?" a wolf asked, but Cameron was just as clueless as the rest of them.

"Danger! Administer sedative!" the AI's voice sounded anew.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," they heard Nigel, who was running towards them, but they had no time to look at the android, when a loud scream came from their Luna, before she collapsed to the ground.

"Heart failure. Proceed to medical bay for resuscitation. One minute till elimination of tumor section," Sarah announced.

What the hell was going on? Cameron was out of his mind. His mate was lying motionless on the floor, while her AI kept talking about danger and heart failure. What was the last thing? Tumor?

Falling to his knees, Cameron checked Shiloh's pulse but there was no heartbeat. Panicking, Cameron shouted orders for his men to return to the cars. They needed to get Shiloh to the pack doctor.

"Cameron, we need to perform CPR now. Taking her to the hospital wouldn't help, but kill her," Alexander argued.

"Alpha Johnson, we have a medical bay where Shiloh has all the med pods," came Nigel's calm voice. Cameron wanted to scream when he heard him. How could he be so calm? But then, he remembered, Nigel wasn't a real person, he was a machine.

"Cameron, pick her up," Alexander commanded. "Nigel, show us the way. Hurry!"

Within seconds, Nigel was running down the corridor towards the medical bay, followed closely by Cameron who held Shiloh's motionless body in his arms, silently praying to the Moon Goddess to save his mate. The other wolves were right behind him, worried out of their minds for their Luna. They could all feel Cameron's anxiety and dreaded what would happen if he would lose his mate.

Cameron put Shiloh inside the now familiar tube and Nigel closed it, commanding Sarah to proceed with all CPR measures while monitoring both Shiloh's heart and brain.

All the wolves inside the medical bay watched the screens around them, as they showed Shiloh's heart condition, her brain and some numbers and letters they didn't know what they meant.

"What is wrong with her?" Cameron asked.

"You are not cleared for this information," came Nigel's monotone voice.

"What do you mean?" Cameron growled.

Alexander pulled his son back, telling him that it was futile to argue with the android. He was programed by Shiloh to follow her command, and if Shiloh wanted to keep something secret, no threat or growling would have made the machine she built betray her.

"Sarah said that Shiloh's heart failed. Could you at least tell us why that happened?" Dylan asked Nigel, and the android seemed to process the question, assessing if it went against his protocols.

"Shiloh's condition leads to hallucinations that terrify her. When her heart rate picks up dangerously, Sarah alerts me and I inject Shiloh with a sedative to calm her mind down, averting the danger," came Nigel's clinical reply.

"What kind of condition?" Alexander prodded, but was sure he wouldn't receive an answer.

"You are not authorized to know this information," Nigel replied.

"What about the tumor? Sarah mentioned a tumor," Cameron inquired.

"You are not," Nigel started to tell them, but just then the lights went out for a second only to be replaced by the red glow of Shiloh's scanned body.

The image before them showed how her heart rate returned to normal and the tiny red dots left her chest area and got redistributed throughout her body. What captured their attention, though, was what went on in her brain. A large blue spot over her brain and what looked like roots that went deep inside it, glowed while several more red dots seemingly attacked it.

The wolves inside the medical bay watched as a tiny little blue spot detached itself from the whole and traveled down towards Shiloh's nostrils.

"1% of Tumor 3-7 successfully removed. 68% of original size remaining," Sarah announced.

Tumor. Shiloh had a brain tumor. A really large one by the looks of it. Cameron was devastated. His mate was sick and there was nothing he could do to help her. He was no doctor but he'd be damned if he didn't find her the best surgeon in the world to save her life. After all, there was no life for him if she wasn't in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Cameron and his wolves were awed by their future Luna, but the devastating news of her illness left them dreading the future altogether.
> 
> Will they be able to save her? Will Cameron confess that they were mates, hoping to spend whatever time they had together?
> 
> Read the next chapter to find out.


	11. Chapter 11

It was past eleven p.m. when the last wolves left Shiloh’s house. According to Nigel, Shiloh was in stable condition, but he still wouldn’t explain the tumor, despite them all having heard the word loud and clear. Cameron stayed behind and carried Shiloh into her bedroom, after Nigel showed him the way. He was grateful that the android didn’t interfere with Cameron’s presence in Shiloh’s house, and even left the two alone, as he went into the lab to do something that Cameron didn’t understand nor did he bother to care about.

Cameron sat on Shiloh’s bed as his mate slept soundly. Within the past few hours, Cameron had learnt more about her than he did in all the time she had been a resident of Wolf’s Hill. However, everything else paled in importance compared to the life-threatening tumor that was currently in her brain. He wished he would understand more about it, know what to do to help her, but he vowed that he wouldn’t give up. He refused to believe that the Moon Goddess brought Shiloh into his life only to take her away again. He just didn’t want to believe that.

“What are you doing here?” came Shiloh’s raspy voice as she looked up at the handsome man she secretly fantasized about.

“I wanted to stay with you, make sure you are alright,” he told her softly, as he caressed her face. His touch was gentle and soothing and Shiloh couldn’t help but lean into him. Cameron smiled at her reaction and hoped that she would allow more of it.

“What happened?” she asked, fearing that perhaps her secret was out. She wasn’t overly concerned about keeping it hidden, since she doubted that anyone would even pay her much attention, but she felt as if she was betraying him in particular if she kept her health condition a secret.

“Your heart stopped, Shiloh,” Cameron’s voice came out broken and fearful. It confused Shiloh but she kept it hidden. “Please, tell me about your tumor,” he asked of her, his voice small compared to the mountain of a man he was. His eyes were pleading with her to give him the answers he needed and something inside of her screamed at her to open up to him. She couldn’t understand why her conscience would want to level with him, but she was too weak to argue.

Shiloh tried to sit up, but when she failed, Cameron lifted her gently upwards until she could lean her back against the headboard. She started explaining that two years before she came to Wolf’s Hill she had terrible headaches that she didn’t understand. She used to have them before as well, but the pain she felt was unbearable. Wanting to know what went on inside her head, Shiloh went to a neurologist who gave her the devastating news: seven tumors in her brain. One of them was the largest and the doctor figured that the others were satellite tumors that just formed around the larger one because of the weak and unhealthy brain tissue.

Cameron listened to her as she reiterated her journey all over the world in search for a surgeon that would offer her help, but, unfortunately, even if one of them would have managed to cut out the six smaller ones, none of the surgeons even dared to take on the large one because of his deep roots.

“One way or another, that tumor would have killed me. I was angry at them because I felt so helpless,” Shiloh confessed, “but I saw the scans and I understood their reluctance. The large tumor alone would have taken several long hours to be cut out, assuming I wouldn’t have died on the table.”

“I can’t believe there is nothing they could have done,” Cameron said angrily, as he stood up and paced around.

“Cameron, there is nothing anyone can do. Trust me. I went to every doctor in the world. Do you think I want to die?” she asked him, frustrated. He sighed audibly, and returned his gaze towards her. After he sat back down, he took her hand in his, urging her to continue, feeling that there was more.

Shiloh looked at their joined hands for a moment, wondering why he was there in the first place, but a large part of her didn’t care and jubilated at the idea of having him in her bedroom. Although, she always imagined a different situation when it involved the two of them and a bed. Shaking her head of the silly thought, Shiloh continued explaining how she was only given three months to live, but was still alive two years later. She explained how she created nanobots that would monitor her health, as well as attempt to cut out tiny bits of tumorous tissue at a time.

“It worked pretty well with the six smaller ones, but it took me over a year to cut out about 30% of the original size of the large tumor. These nanobots kept me alive. No other tumors have formed since I was diagnosed, and the area where once a tumor was healed itself perfectly, as if nothing bad ever invaded the space. But the large tumor is a real son of a biscuit,” she cussed.

“How come?” Cameron wanted to know. What made the larger one different?

“It is located in the part of the brain that induces hallucinations. Its roots are also very deep making it hard to cut out without damaging my brain. That’s why the nanobots are more efficient than a traditional approach. They work with finesse and make sure the area heals completely before they cut in the same part again.”

Cameron was overwhelmed with the amount of information Shiloh gave him, but at the same time he was glad she had opened up and allowed him to know something so intimate. He had hoped that they could have discussed their childhoods or hopes and dreams for the future, but he understood why Shiloh didn’t want to discuss a future when her present was so bleak.

Shiloh was confused at her own bluntness. Never before did she open up to anyone the way she did to Cameron. It was as if nothing else in the world mattered but him. She didn’t fear that he would judge her or belittle her. She saw the expressions the doctors held when they told her there was nothing left to do but await her untimely demise. She remembered the pity in their eyes. It was the same as every pair of eyes that looked at her when tragedy struck her.It was the same look people held when her parents had died. It was the same look when her grandfather had died. And it was no different when her grandmother had died.

Looking at that, Shiloh couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of things. How much has her family sacrificed for her to go to all the good schools, prepare for a brilliant future, only for it all to end with her useless death?

Cameron wanted to help but didn’t know how. He listened to her and believed her when she said that she went to every doctor there was. He also acknowledged her own genius in creating these artificial helpers that kept her alive.

Thinking of what she said, about the hallucinations, Cameron wondered what it was she saw that terrified her so much. He had seen fear before, smelled it because of his heightened sense of smell, but her fear baffled him. If her fear was induced by a hallucination, something that wasn’t real, why was it so powerful?

Shiloh was a little bit surprised when he asked her that, but given that he had seen her in her frightened state twice already, she decided to be honest. After all, he was still there after he heard all the horrific details about her brain cancer and how futile her attempts were to cut it out.

“Come with me to my lab,” she said, trying to get out of bed.

“Why can’t you tell me here?” he asked, confused.

“Because in order for you to understand, you need to see the reason for my nightmares,” she replied, her voice grave and her expression sullen.

Cameron wondered what she could possibly show him. He got up and offered to carry her, but Shiloh declined. Secretly, they both yearned for him to carry her, but Cameron promised himself not to push her, and Shiloh didn’t want to lead him on. After all, if everything that Dylan and the others told her about mates, Cameron’s mate was waiting for him to find her. Shiloh was dying anyway; there was no need to let herself fall for the guy, only to leave him behind when she died or worse, have him find his mate and leave her on her death bed. Shiloh knew that having to endure that would have been worse than any pain the tumor had caused her thus far.

Making her way slowly towards the hidden elevator that would take them four levels underground, Shiloh asked herself for the thousandth time why she allowed this man, this stranger, to know so much about her, but each time she wanted to convince herself that it was a mistake, something inside of her told her to trust Cameron. So, she did.

Cameron kept quiet the whole time despite having a million and one questions to ask. Ever since he set foot inside of Shiloh’s house, he was constantly surprised by the things that she deemed normal. Android assistants, medical staff and supplies in one large tube, a factory that efficiently worked without workers, an AI that controlled all the gadgets in the house, a spaceship that allowed Shiloh to fulfill her childhood dream. A lab underground didn’t seem so far-fetched anymore.

Exiting the elevator, Cameron noticed that the space seemed much smaller than the level above ground where her house stood. A part of him wanted to know how she managed to build all that, but he figured, a person who could build her own spacecraft was probably capable of everything she set her mind to.

“You might notice that you can’t communicate with your pack,” Shiloh suddenly said, as she moved towards the room where she had kept the three werewolves.

Cameron tried to mind link Dylan, but was unable to do so. He only nodded, and followed her into what looked like a supply room.

“This is a storage room. The three cubes over there,” she pointed toward the other side of the room, “is where your pack members were while they were passed out. The cubes aren’t actual holding cells, but more like storage units for different items. I only put Dylan and the others inside the cubes because I didn’t have any place else where to keep them. At the time, I thought they were wild animals, scared and therefore unpredictable.”

Cameron nodded again, and looked around. She was right. It didn’t look like a dungeon or prison at all. Even Dylan had confirmed that she treated them nicely and the moment they shifted into their human forms, Shiloh let them out and apologized profusely, despite the fact that they still could have hurt her. Marco even confessed that he had slammed Shiloh against one of the cells, because he thought she just wanted to hurt them, and probably the whole pack. Dylan had quickly stepped between them, and protected Cameron’s mate. A part of him wanted to beat the crap out of Marco for laying a finger on Shiloh, but another understood his reaction. After he had calmed down, Cameron reassured Marco that there were no hard feelings. Marco vowed that he would protect his Luna for as long as there was air in his lungs, and Cameron thanked him.

Unfortunately, there was nothing any of them could do to protect her from that tumor, and it hurt Cameron to admit that. As long as there was hope, there was a way. But even Shiloh seemed to have given up.

Leading him into her lab, Shiloh decided to not re-watch the video that she was about to show to Cameron. She would just prepare everything, and leave the room. She had enough nightmares as it was; she didn’t need a boost of them.

“This is my lab or my ‘Thinkatorium’ as I call it,” she told him with a chuckle and Cameron smiled.

He looked around and saw different tables with different tools. The walls were filled with drawings of devices and gadgets he couldn’t possibly understand let alone recreate and at the center was a desk with a computer and one single photo frame. Walking closer, he saw a picture of Shiloh and Nigel wearing fatigues and paintball guns. Judging by the multiple colorful splatters all over them, Cameron concluded that the picture was taken after a paintball match. They both smiled happily, and Cameron wondered how the same machine could look so human-like.

“That’s the real Nigel,” she suddenly said, picking up the picture.

“I don’t understand,” Cameron told her truthfully.

“Before I created my android, there was a man, a very good friend, close to a brother actually, who was there for me every time I needed him. His name was Nigel Cartwright. He was five years older and a bio-chemist. He was just like me, an underappreciated genius who nobody seemed to understand. He knew what it meant to be smarter than anyone else, be ostracized for his intellect and visionary ideas. He was my rock after my grandmother died,” she confessed yet another piece of her soul. Cameron wanted to know more about the loss of her grandmother, but was even more interested in this Nigel.

“We were each other’s soul mate, but not in the way you guys see it,” she quickly added, as she saw the scowl on Cameron’s face. “We were best friends. We supported each other, but we also criticized the other. We would call the other out on their shit and not let things slide. We had a weird big brother-little sister relationship where we would bicker one moment, and hug and watch silly Disney movies the next. He was like the male version of me and kept every wannabe Casanova away from me,” she remembered with a smile on her face. It has been a long time since Shiloh remembered her friend. Sure, she saw his face every day, but Android Nigel wasn’t Real Nigel. Android Nigel would never even come near Real Nigel.

Cameron listened to her and felt conflicted. A part of him hated that another man was so close to her, but then she saw him as a brother who kept potential lovers away from her. Then again, that man knew her in a way that Cameron yearned to know her. The way she spoke of him made Cameron believe that Nigel was no longer in the picture. In fact, it made him think he was no longer alive.

Shiloh set up the video footage for Cameron, instructing him just to hit play and watch the video. She told him that she would wait outside, because she just couldn’t bring herself to relive that moment in her life again. Cameron was reluctant to let her out of his sight, but the pleading look in her eyes made him give in. She quickly told him to use her headphones and watch the whole thing, unless it was too much for him to handle. Cameron raised an eyebrow at her, but didn’t comment. He couldn’t quite imagine what he was about to see.

Shiloh gave him a weak smile before she left the room and closing the door behind her. Sliding down the wall, Shiloh held her knees to her chest, wondering, yet again, why she felt so strongly about Cameron. Sure, he was an attractive man, but there must have been another explanation for her constant desire that started to seem more like a need to be around him. She couldn’t allow herself to have such feelings for the man, since she knew that one day, probably sooner than later, he’d find his true love and leave her behind, while she was slowly dying. She needed to forget about him, and fast. Perhaps, coming to Wolf’s Hill was a mistake, but Shiloh didn’t find it in her to leave the town.

Cameron watched the video and almost didn’t believe it. If that was some sick joke Shiloh tried on him, it wasn’t funny. However, he doubted it was a joke or fake. It seemed real.

For the past five minutes, Cameron watched a creature that, believe it or not, looked like a zombie. It was not something he ever thought he’d admit, but the creature looked like a zombie, behaved like a zombie, sounded like a zombie and if Cameron would have been there, he was sure he would have smelled the zombie.

Alright, so, Shiloh was afraid of that zombie. Cameron was an alpha and faced terrible enemies, but even he had to admit that an undead creature like the one in the video made his blood run cold. Where the hell could Shiloh have found a zombie?

Cameron watched in horror as the vile creature was chasing his mate through a facility that looked like a lab. He noted that Shiloh and another man were alone in there, running from the zombie, and managing to trap the creature inside a lab.

Watching as the two went into what seemed a control room, he turned up the volume to hear their conversation.

“Is there nothing we can do?” Shiloh asked, her voice sounding anguished.

“My team did the research based on Nigel’s notes. There is no cure. Maybe, if we would have acted sooner,” the unknown man answered, but sounded just as deflated and sad. “You’ve seen the scans. For all intents and purposes, Nigel is gone. That thing, whatever you want to call it, is not your friend anymore. He is gone. All that is left for us to do is destroy him,” the man told her gravely.

Cameron watched as Shiloh started sobbing, hugging herself in an attempt to find comfort. He still didn’t quite understand what was going on, but if he understood the mysterious man in the video correctly, the zombie trapped in that lab used to be Shiloh’s friend, Nigel.

The moment the video went completely dark, Cameron knew that it was over. Setting the headphones down, he took a deep breath, trying to process everything he had seen. Within the last twenty-four hours, Cameron saw things he only thought possible in science fiction novels and movies. Never in a million years would he have thought he could witness them firsthand or that his mate was behind most of these wonders.

Standing up, Cameron wondered if he should tell her that they were mates. He didn’t want to scare her, but he felt that if he didn’t tell her now, after all she had shared with him, despite not having to, it might feel as a betrayal. Remembering what his uncle and aunt told him, Cameron decided to just go with his instincts and come clean. After all, it was a good thing. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Shiloh’s friend turned into a zombie. Cameron battles with himself now if he should tell her about them being mates. Is it the right time or should he wait to see if they could find a cure for her?


	12. Chapter 12

Cameron found Shiloh sitting on the floor next to the door to her Thinkatorium. She seemed so small to him, broken and alone that he wanted to join his wolf who kept whimpering the whole time he had watched her sleep.

Shiloh heard him come out, but didn't want to face him yet. What happened that day with Nigel was a terrible tragedy. He was her best friend and he was lost to his own creation. Feeling Cameron slide down next to her, both remained silent for a while before Shiloh couldn't bear the memories and started crying.

It didn't take Cameron a whole minute from her first sob until he pulled her onto his lap, and held her close to his chest as she cried for her loss. It was unthinkable for Cameron to lose even one of his wolves, let alone someone as close as his family and friends. Yet his mate had to endure so much pain and suffering over losing her loved ones over and over again. He wanted to take her pain away and replace every bad memory with a happy one. He wanted to give her everything she desired, fulfill her every wish, see her smile every day for the rest of his life, but as he dreamt of a future with his Luna a terrible truth became reality. She was dying.

Nothing he or anyone did would matter because there was nothing anyone could do to save her. She was doomed long before they met, and he knew that it would hurt him to lose her. It would hurt him even more to lose her after they mated and he marked her and she became officially the Luna of his pack. Not only would he lose his mate, but his pack would lose their Luna. But it didn't matter to him. He wanted her. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to love her and give her a beautiful life for as long as it lasted. He'd rather have one night of love with her, than a lifetime of regret for not taking a chance.

Yes. He wanted to be with her. He just needed to convince her to let him love her. And maybe the little time they had, they could be happy together.

Shiloh was heartbroken. Every touch, every caress, every word he spoke to her was both a soothing balm and a knife to her heart. Her entire being started screaming for him the moment she sat down on the cold floor outside her lab, while he was inside watching the reason for her terror. She couldn't understand why she felt so strongly for a man she had just met. What did he do to her to make her lose her mind over him?

"Shiloh, there's something I need to tell you," he spoke in his deep, manly voice.

Shiloh shuddered in pleasure at hearing him say her name. Unable to form any words, she just nodded, hoping he felt her move her head.

Cameron took a deep breath and prayed to the Moon Goddess to help him with his herculean task. Maybe he exaggerated, but until she accepted him, he was nervous and frightened.

"Dylan told me that you guys talked about a lot of werewolf related things," he started saying, and she nodded. "He spoke to you about mates, right?" he asked, despite knowing the answer. Shiloh nodded again. A part of her didn't know where he was going with this, but another feared that she didn't want to hear it either.

Shiloh listened to him as Cameron repeated basically the same things Dylan told her earlier that day. More specifically, that the Moon Goddess created them and made the perfect mate for each wolf. When they reach the age of sixteen, after their first shift, wolves were able to find their mates. The moment two mates recognized each other, they would usually move fast from first meeting to marking and then mating. Shiloh blushed at the memory of how Dylan had to explain that particular part to her with unnecessary graphic details.

Cameron hoped that by walking Shiloh through the process of finding a mate and what would happen right after, his mate would understand them better. He also decided to explain how wolves felt when they got rejected and what that might mean for them.

"I knew about one wolf in our pack," Cameron started, but then out of instinct pulled Shiloh closer to him and placed a kiss to her head. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Shiloh, but she didn't comment. "My dad told me that when he found his mate, she rejected him because he was too short. She actually said that, that he was too short to be good enough for her. He was so heartbroken that he left the pack. The other wolves thought he wanted to be by himself, process everything, but after a few days they found his body in a ravine. Apparently, he met some rogues and they got into a fight. Honestly, no one is really sure what happened. Some say he was ambushed, others that he looked for a way to die."

Shiloh felt that it was horrible. She knew that wolves felt differently about their mates, but, frankly, she couldn't quite understand how you could love someone so much to want to die. Then again, she knew what love was, knew how painful losing the person you loved was. Sure, she lost her parents and grandparents, and then Nigel, but she was never in love with anyone to compare that pain to what the wolves must feel.

"I can't imagine what I would do if I would lose my mate," Cameron suddenly said after a long pause. Shiloh felt tears sting her eyes. She wanted to scream. She wasn't sure why. Was it because the story of the dead wolf who got rejected affected her or the idea of Cameron's mate, she wasn't sure. "You know, I just recently found her," Cameron resumed and Shiloh felt a sharp pain pierce her heart.

He had found her? His mate? He belonged to another. Whatever she felt for him, needed to stay hidden, buried. He could never know. He deserved happiness.

"She is this wonderful person, insanely smart, but heartwarmingly kind. Her beauty isn't just on the outside but runs deep within her and makes you want to smile every time you see her."

Each word he spoke, Shiloh wanted to cry out in pain. Why would he tell her that? Why would he twist the proverbial knife? Why would he pour salt into her wound? Didn't he know he hurt her? Of course, he didn't. She never told him. She didn't even know it would affect her until he mentioned his mate.

"She is not like me, though. She is human, yet she isn't scared of me. She doesn't see me as a monster, as a killer, as a wild animal."

Unable to shut up, Shiloh looked up at him and found him smiling down at her. She frowned. She frowned because she didn't think he was a monster, either. If only he knew what terrible secret, she was still keeping. She also frowned, because he was here with her instead of his mate. Didn't it bother him to not be with her? Wouldn't it bother her to know he was with another woman?

"Why aren't you with her, then?" she asked, confusion and hurt written clearly on her face. Cameron smiled lovingly down at her, wanting to ease her worries.

"I am with her," he answered and stole a chaste kiss from her.

Shiloh was too stunned to react at first but when he pulled back to look at her, she scowled. Was he serious?

"You're kidding," came her incredulous reply. He almost laughed at her reaction but kept his cool. She looked so cute when she scowled and tried to figure something out.

"No. I knew you were my mate the moment I first saw you," he confessed. Shiloh wanted to say something, but Cameron stopped her with a finger to her lips. "I knew you were human and I was afraid that if I bombarded you with all this, about werewolves and mates, you might get scared and reject me. I don't think I could have handled that. It was very hard for me to not pull you in my arms then and there, but I had to remind myself that you had no clue about my world," he explained.

It made sense to her, yet she felt betrayed. She didn't even know why. He did what he did thinking she might get scared and run away. He had no way of knowing that her finding out the truth about lycanthropes would actually calm her down, rather than scare her away. She still didn't quite understand why she didn't freak out when she got her theory confirmed, but it just made sense to her.

But she was his mate. Cameron's mate. Why would some deity pair him with a sick human girl? Why wouldn't his Goddess give him someone like him, a werewolf? Why wouldn't the Goddess mate him to someone strong and healthy, someone worthy of his affection? It brought tears to her eyes knowing that her death would cause him pain. Maybe if she convinced him to reject her, things might be better for him. Or maybe if they just pretended that nothing happened. Dylan said that being rejected was painful, but not as painful as losing your mate after you marked and mated her. Maybe that's what needed to be done. However, if Shiloh was completely honest, none of these scenarios seemed desirable. She knew she had her days counted. It would have been unfair of her to have him watch her wither and die. It was unfair of him to suffer through her loss. No. Better, he rejected her and got on with his life. Suggesting any of it to Cameron, though, was a bad decision.

"No!" he told her firmly, his voice a little louder than he intended. He couldn't believe she even thought of that. Even the explanations she gave him were absurd. They were mates and he wouldn't reject her and he assured her that he wouldn't allow her to reject him.

"Please, I'm dying," she started crying again. Cameron kissed her forehead before staring back into her eyes.

"No, Shiloh. You are mine and I won't give up on you. I don't care how much time I have with you in this life, I want to be with you." He stopped briefly, remembering all the instances she broke down and cried. He knew she wanted to spare him heartache, but whatever they did from that point on was a futile attempt of shielding him from pain. He would suffer regardless of what they would choose. If she rejected him – he'd suffer. If he rejected her – he'd suffer. If they decided to be together and she died, he'd suffer. But as much as she tried to deny the connection between them, he knew she could feel it, and he knew she would suffer just as much. She might have not been born a wolf, but she felt the mating pull and the bond forming.

"But," Shiloh protested, only to be stopped by Cameron pressing his lips to hers. This time, Shiloh welcomed it.

Reaching up to cup his cheek, Shiloh leaned into him, giving into her own desires and throwing all concerns out the window. She didn't want to think anymore, she just wanted to feel something. And what she felt was so good. It felt like home, like summer days lounging in a hammock with a good book, like chocolate cheesecake and vanilla ice cream, like finally being whole. Was that what he felt? Was that what the wolves felt when they found their mate? That satisfying feeling of being whole?

Cameron was over the moon as he felt her relax against him, returning his kiss and demanding more for herself. Pulling her closer, he licked her bottom lip and to his uttermost relief and satisfaction, she allowed him entrance. Cameron pushed his tongue inside her mouth, exploring every inch of her, mating it with her own and tasting her sweetness. Cameron's wolf was howling in satisfaction, demanding that Cameron finally marked her as theirs, but Cameron reprimanded him, telling him to be patient. They had already made great progress and he wouldn't allow her to push him away. Now that she knew she was his mate, Cameron would keep her close to him.

Their kiss deepened and Shiloh felt dizzy. She had been kissed before but never the way Cameron kissed her. It was so passionate and gentle at the same time, so full of emotion and demand. She was by no means a virgin, but something inside her scolded her now that she decided to lose her virginity with some college boy when she could have given it to her mate.

Her mate.

It sounded surreal to her to refer to Cameron as her mate. A primal instinct took over her, and she suddenly felt possessive of him. The mere idea of him with another woman made her blood boil. Unconsciously, Shiloh bit down on his lip, causing him to pull back to see what had troubled her, while it made her pout for losing his lips.

"What happened?" he asked, breathlessly. Shiloh looked away, ashamed of having done something so stupid. "Kitten?" he asked again, using the same pet name as before.

"Nothing," she stubbornly answered while still looking away.

Cameron didn't quite understand what went on in her pretty little head, but he was too happy about the turn of events to care too much. He put his index finger under her chin, making her turn her head towards him.

"If it's nothing, then let me kiss you again," he demanded, his voice gentle, but firm. Her eyes sparkled at his order and without much protest on her part, she leaned in to kiss him anew.

None of them knew how long they've been sitting on the floor making out like lovesick teenagers, but neither did they care. With every moment they shared, Shiloh lost all her resolve to stay away from Cameron. If she thought it hard before, now it felt like it would tear her apart to not be with him.

If they truly were mates, and made for each other, why would destiny separate them so soon after finding each other?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Shiloh finally knows that Cameron and she are mates. The internal conflict that seems to keep playing ping-pong with her feelings only intensifies as she ponders the possible implications of her giving in completely. Her death would hurt Cameron, but she felt selfish.
> 
> Will they find a cure for her so that she can live on and they can be together? Or will the Moon Goddess take her away?
> 
> Read the next chapter to find out.


	13. Chapter 13

Cameron was lying on his right side in Shiloh's bed while she lay on her left facing him. They had spent hours talking and getting to know each other. Nothing was too insignificant or boring, everything was vital. Shiloh was still reluctant, but Cameron could feel how much stronger their bond got. He knew that she felt it too, albeit not as much as he did.

They shared everything that ever happened to them. Shiloh told him everything about the losses in her life, her parents and grandparents, and promised to tell him more about the Real Nigel, as they now referred to, in the morning. She also told him about her business and how some people called her 'The Merchant of Death'. The term soon became a household name in the world of war, despite it not being accurate at all. Everyone of importance knew who Shiloh Andrews was, and while some applauded her initiative to reduce casualties, others despised her. In many ways, she destroyed them with her new approach to warfare.

Cameron listened to her, and after getting to know her better, he tried to reassure her that those people were just jealous and money-driven. Sure, she built and sold weapons, but she also created defensive devices and advanced medical equipment. Even her nanobots were revolutionary and he needed to make her see that the part of her that made weapons was smaller in comparison to the part that saved lives.

Wanting to share some of his battlefield experiences with her, Cameron explained how he dealt with rogues but didn't go into too many gory details. He didn't want to scare her or disgust her, not when they made so much progress. He told her about his Alpha duties, about regular meetings with other alphas, about alliances and possible conflicts. He wanted her to know every aspect of his life because for the first time ever he felt like he didn't need to meet anyone's expectations. She listened to him quietly, asking questions when she didn't understand or offer a suggestion to improve something when she felt his approach was too stubborn.

When the topic of exes came up, Cameron followed his mom's advice and came clean about his escapades. He told her how depressed he was that he didn't find her and how he thought he just wasn't worthy to have a mate after his mom made him see his own mistake.

It made Shiloh jealous to hear about the girls he had been with, but on the other hand, she was not so innocent herself. What really bothered her was how he beat himself up over it.

"Cam," she said, and he looked at her with a small smile. "Don't beat yourself up. Everyone has a past. I have one. Might not have been as extensive as yours, but I don't see why I should hold it against you," she told him truthfully as she caressed his cheek. He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes.

"It's different," he replied with a heavy sigh. "You didn't know about mates, I did. I just chose to be a jerk."

"Cam, come on. Look at me," she urged him. When he finally opened his eyes, Shiloh held her breath. They were so mesmerizing that for a moment she forgot what she wanted to say.

"Babe, are you alright?" he asked her.

Over the past four hours since they returned from her lab to her bedroom, their names evolved from Shiloh and Cameron to Shi and Cam or kitten, babe or baby. Cameron's favorite, that Shiloh used for him, was big, bad wolf. While she had made a joke at first, it kind of stuck and Cameron didn't mind. When she asked why he kept calling her kitten, he explained that she reminded him of a little kitten, shy and attention-seeking, but once she came out of her shell was the most adorable, cute and loving little fur ball. Shiloh laughed at his explanation, but didn't ask him to stop. Hearing her laugh was music to his ears. He wanted to spend the rest of his life making her smile and laugh and just make her happy. Nothing in the world was more important than his mate. He finally understood his father. He made a mental note to talk to him and ask for his advice, because hard times were ahead for them, and Cameron didn't know how to handle them.

"Hm?" Shiloh hummed, finally out of her trance. Cameron grinned at her, and kissed the tip of her nose.

"You were someplace else. Where were you?" he asked, amused.

"Just thinking," she answered, trying to force back the blush that was slowly forming.

"About?" he insisted.

"That I don't like to think of you with someone else, but I like it even less when you blame yourself for something that happened a long time ago. We can't change the past, and I think, if given the choice, we shouldn't," she told him truthfully.

Yes, she had thought of the past for a long time, even wondered what she would have said or done to stop her parents from going on their romantic weekend or her grandfather on his hunting trip, but in the end it wouldn't have mattered. Shiloh believed in a deterministic universe, which meant, while people had their free will, they couldn't escape their fate. That was also the reason why she didn't put in question the fact that she was Cameron's mate. She didn't like it, because she was slowly dying, but she realized that one way or another it didn't matter. One way or another she would reach her destination and her life's choices would only determine how fast she would get there.

If she would have chosen a simple life, she might have still found Cameron one way or another, but perhaps it would have taken longer. Or worse, he could have come into her hometown just as she had passed. She couldn't escape her fate just as much light couldn't escape the gravitational pull of a singularity.

And if all that logic didn't convince her, her feelings and the way Cameron's eyes shone when he vowed he wouldn't let her give up on them did, though.

"Does that mean, you will give us a chance?" Cameron asked hopeful.

"I think I already did when I didn't kick you out in the middle of the night," she laughed, but then became serious again. "I don't know how long I'll live. Two years ago, every doctor I've seen gave me three months tops. If the tumor doesn't kill me, then the treatment will. I don't know how it works, because it makes absolutely no sense to me. I know I'm not a medical doctor, but I've read everything available to understand my condition. The tumor acts as if it is a parasite. As long as the nanobots don't try to cut it out, I have no other symptoms than the tumor slowly shutting down my brain. However, when they get close to cutting a little piece out, the headaches start, dizziness, paranoia, hallucinations, all that shebang that scares the living crap out of me and leaves me half dead in its wake. Sometimes I think that tumor has a mind of its own and only increased the intensity of my hallucinations because I dare to cut more of it out," she explained and even she had a hard time believing it.

"Is that even possible?" Cameron asked her, trying to understand.

Shiloh shook her head, and explained that nothing about her tumor should be possible. There was absolutely no indication that she was ill prior to those headaches. For a tumor to have roots as deep as the one in her brain, it should have been present for years, even as a cyst or an aneurism. However, Shiloh had a full physical exam a whole month before the headaches started. No doctor in the world was able to explain to her how the tumor evolved as quickly and aggressively. She even considered her exposure to radiation, but the one she was exposed to couldn't have triggered a tumor like that.

Furthermore, the way the tumor behaved was odd. While Shiloh still couldn't grasp how that cancer could think on its own, it seemed more and more as if it was a living organism whose sole purpose in life was to shut down her brain. Every time her nanobots attacked the tumor, the tumor fought back. It was maddening!

Checking the time, Cameron suggested they had breakfast, since neither was able to fall asleep after their intense conversations during the night. Agreeing with him, Shiloh showed him into the kitchen where they worked in silence. Shiloh offered to make breakfast, but Cameron insisted to do it himself. He secretly wanted to spoil her as much as he could, because he had a feeling that Shiloh wouldn't be too impressed with expensive jewelry or anything extravagant for that matter. While she had anything she could possibly want or need, Shiloh was still down to Earth and appreciated all she had.

As Cameron prepared the scrambled eggs and bacon, a thought crossed his mind. Maybe Shiloh would be more at ease after speaking to someone who used to be human and was mated to a wolf. Thinking of what the best way was to bring it up, Cameron was oblivious to Shiloh's question.

"Yo, big, bad wolf, you got wax in your ears?" she joked, while squeezing his left ear lobe between her thumb and index finger.

"Sorry, what?" he asked, and she giggled.

"I asked if you wanted some OJ and coffee," she repeated, hopping on the counter next to him, watching him amused.

"Uh, yeah, sure."

Smiling brightly at him, Shiloh allowed herself a moment to admire his marvelous physique. He looked like a Norse god with his broad shoulders, chiseled chest and defined six-pack, his piercing blue eyes, and light brown locks and beard. Damn, he was one sexy hunk! Shiloh couldn't believe that they were mates. If she really was about to die, perhaps some fucked up deity out there wanted her to have a little taste of paradise before she bit the dust. Who was she to argue with a god?

"What?" Cameron asked her confused as she just stared at him.

"Do you usually run around shirtless?" she asked, which made Cameron smirk.

"You checking me out?" he asked amused, but was nervous to hear her opinion.

"Hard not to. Please, tell me you don't run around half naked so that the whole female population of Wolf's Hill sees you," she inquired, trying to sound serious, but a smile played at her lips. However, deep down she wondered if he allowed anyone to see him the way he allowed her.

"Not just half naked," he joked, getting a kick out of her befuddled reaction.

"Seriously?"

"Well, sometimes I'm completely naked," he answered nonchalantly, and Shiloh's jaw dropped. "When we shift, we need to be naked, otherwise our clothes get ruined. Sometimes, though, we don't have time, and the shift happens too quick for us to get undressed. When we then shift back into our human form, we're naked. Because of that, we have places throughout pack land where we store shorts and some tank tops."

Shiloh nodded and tried not to think of her boyfriend's naked body. Thinking of him as her boyfriend made her smile, which didn't go unnoticed by him.

"What you smirking at?" he asked her, curiously.

"What are we now?" she asked, but confused him with her question. "I mean, I know we are mates, but how do I introduce you to non-wolf people?" she asked awkwardly.

For a moment, Cameron didn't quite understand what she was asking, since in Wolf's Hill everyone was a werewolf. But then it dawned on him that people she knew outside of town, humans, didn't have the notion of mates.

"Boyfriend, I guess," he answered with a shrug.

"You guess?" she asked amused. "How about I tell people you are my boy toy?" she challenged. Cameron found that he loved the playful side of her personality, and indulged in a little teasing.

"Boy toy? Really? You insult me, woman," he told her with an eye roll. "Do I look like a boy to you?"

"Eye candy?" she continued her game.

"Woman," he growled. "I am a man. If anything, I'd be your man toy," he offered, puffing his chest out.

Shiloh giggled and nodded. Beckoning him with her finger, Shiloh opened her legs, inviting him to stand between her spread thighs. Setting the pan to the side so that their food didn't burn, Cameron went to stand in front of her, his arms circling her waist, pulling her closer to him, while her arms went around his neck.

"I really don't want to die, Cameron, but I need to be prepared for when it happens," she told him honestly. He wanted to object to her change of topic, but she leaned up and kissed him softly. It was brief, but enough to keep him quiet for another moment. "I want to be with you every moment I have left in this world. I have wasted precious time before, I won't waste it again. The factory works perfectly without me and if need be, Nigel is familiar with all the protocols. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, however brief it may be," she promised.

Her declaration both excited and scared Cameron. He was happy to hear her that she wouldn't just accept him, but wanted to be with him till her last breath. It scared him that her last breath might only be days or weeks away. He wondered if there was a way to convince the Moon Goddess to take him instead of her, because he would give his life for her to live. She had so much more to offer to this world than he ever could. Her death would be such a waste. If only he could save her, he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: They're getting closer. Shiloh accepts Cameron, but the looming threat over her head makes them wonder how long they have together. Is there no cure for her?


	14. Chapter 14

It was late in the afternoon when Cameron and Shiloh arrive at his Uncle’s house. Cameron had already contacted his uncle, asking if it was alright to stop by with his mate. Aaron, obviously, had already talked to his brother and knew that something was wrong with the future Luna, but Alexander hadn’t given him any details. Cameron himself had asked his wolves the night before to not talk to anyone about what they had seen in Shiloh’s house until either he or his Luna said so.

Cameron had high hopes for the meeting since Helen used to be a human and was best suited to talk to his mate, explaining what Shiloh might have to face or worry about. He didn’t think Shiloh had any reason to worry about anything regarding his pack, but Helen, obviously, had a better understanding coming from the human world.

Shiloh was nervous. Cameron told her that his aunt used to be a human and his uncle had turned her, at her request, before they first mated. He also explained that he wouldn’t mind if she stayed human, but Shiloh could see the hope in his eyes.

During the night when they had their lengthy conversations about their lives and experiences, Shiloh briefly explained that in order for her to be allowed to visit military camps in war-torn areas, she had to undergo a rigorous military training. A Marine and a Navy SEAL offered to train her, after her devices saved both their lives on separate missions. Shiloh also insisted on receiving what she called a ‘spy training’ which mostly consisted in learning how to read micro-expressions of the face, body language and the art of reading between lines, which she received from a former CIA operative. She was nowhere near ready to be either of the three, but all of them came in handy one time or another. So, it wasn’t hard for her to tell when Cameron said one thing but meant another. However, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to become a werewolf, especially since there were still some blanks to fill. She hoped that the meeting with Cameron’s formerly human aunt would ease her mind and shed some light over some of her questions.

The drive to his uncle’s house wasn’t so long, but the silence weighed heavily on both of them. Cameron didn’t want to pressure her, happy that she agreed to meet with Helen in the first place. But he did wonder what went on in Shiloh’s mind. Would she find the answers she was looking for? Would she consider becoming like him, a werewolf? If she chose to remain human, he would accept it. He would love for her to be like him, but he understood that it was a huge step for a human to choose a different life. She didn’t just move from one place to another or break up with one partner to be with another. She would choose to become a different being altogether, and yes, that was a huge deal. But the hope remained.

Parking the car in his uncle’s driveway, Cameron noticed that his parents seemed to be inside the house as well. He growled lowly at the realization and hoped that Shiloh wouldn’t be too freaked out.

“What is it?” she asked, having heard the sound of displeasure he made.

“My parents decided to come too, apparently,” he said, and closed his eyes, trying to ease his frustration.

Shiloh thought of the prospect of seeing Evelyn and Alexander again, and somehow, them being there wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Maybe it was even better to have them there as well. Alexander used to be an Alpha, just like Cameron was, and Evelyn was his Luna. She still didn’t quite understand what a Luna did, but was rather excited to find out.

Feeling her soft hand over his, Cameron opened his eyes and looked towards his mate. The smile on her face made the frustration leave his body only to be replaced with a profound sense of belonging. They belonged together and Cameron would do anything to make sure they were together for as long as possible.

Stepping outside of the car, Cameron hurried to open the door for her, offering his hand for Shiloh to step out. She took a deep breath and tried to mentally prepare herself for the meeting with Cameron’s family. She was never so nervous in her entire life. She didn’t quite understand it either, but she was glad when Cameron grabbed her hand.

“You’ll be fine,” Cameron reassured her, before kissing her temple.

“Am I not underdressed?” she asked.

Cameron looked her up and down. She looked stunning no matter what time of day. She wanted to put on a formal dress, but Cameron assured her that it wasn’t necessary. Both his aunt and uncle were excited to finally meet her, and since it would be just the four of them, she should dress comfortably. Shiloh then decided on black skinny jeans, flats and a white sleeveless blouse. Cameron had no idea how she pulled off any look, but whatever she wore, she was beautiful.

“You look beautiful,” he told her, making her blush. Cameron loved making her blush, especially due to the many compliments he showered her with.

“You’re just saying,” she tried to deflect, but he wouldn’t let her.

“Are you calling me a liar?” he asked, faking hurt.

“Aren’t mates supposed to flatter each other?” she asked him, and he laughed.

“It’s not my fault you look stunning.” Shiloh just rolled her eyes, and he couldn’t resist but kiss her sweet lips. “Come on, babe. Let’s talk to the old folks,” he told her jokingly, while adding in his mind, “so that we can hurry and go back to your house and cuddle.”

Knocking on his uncle’s door, Cameron hoped that the meeting with his family would go well. His Uncle Aaron opened the door and after the older Johnson invited them in, Cameron officially introduced Shiloh.

“Uncle Aaron, this is my mate, Shiloh,” Cameron said proudly. Shiloh beamed at his words and felt a surge of love and pride course through her, waking her up from what seemed a permanent dormant state. “Shi, this is my Uncle Aaron, my dad’s younger brother.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Johnson,” Shiloh said politely.

“Nice to meet you, too, but please, call me Aaron.” Shiloh just nodded and followed him into the living room where they found Evelyn, Alexander and a woman, whom Shiloh assumed, was Cameron’s aunt.

“Good afternoon,” Shiloh greeted everyone, and Evelyn immediately came to greet the new couple.

The older woman had immediately noticed how the two young people were holding hands, but she could barely smell her son on his mate, nor did she see a mark. But given the devastating news Alexander gave her the night before, she could understand why Shiloh didn’t want to rush things. Evelyn was sure that her son would have loved to mark her already, but in light of their discovery, she understood why the girl wanted to postpone more heartache.

“It is so good to see you again,” Evelyn said with a kind smile.

“It is good to see you, too,” Shiloh replied.

“Babe, this is my Aunt Helen. I’ve told you about her,” Cameron introduced, hoping that his mom would stop hovering.

While Shiloh and Helen shook hands, Evelyn resumed her place next to her husband, while Aaron went to sit on the chair next to Helen’s. Cameron and Shiloh took the love seat which was placed right in front of the two older couples.

“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” Shiloh said mostly to Helen, who just dismissed her and said it was a pleasure to have Cameron’s mate in her humble home. Shiloh smiled sheepishly. “I will cut to the chase. I know Alexander knows of my condition, and I assume Evelyn does too,” she said, looking towards Cameron’s parents. They both nodded. Shiloh took a deep breath.

Explaining the situation in detail to both couples, Shiloh tried to ignore the gasps, growls and overall pitiful looks she received. She was used to them by now. The only one who didn’t look at her like that was Cameron, which made her appreciate him even more.

Shiloh tried to answer mostly Helen’s questions, although she didn’t quite understand where the older woman was going with them. Wanting to move on to her own questions, Shiloh found herself interrupted by Cameron’s aunt.

“Shiloh, I understand what you said. I don’t know if my nephew told you, but I am a nurse. Before I was mated to Aaron, I received a full medical training in the human world, and after I was turned and marked, I traveled to a few other packs to learn more about werewolf anatomy and medicine. I think I might have a potential cure for you,” she said, leaving everyone, especially Shiloh, speechless.

A dark silence settled over the three couples. The mere idea that a nurse, a werewolf nurse no less, would manage to perform a miracle that no neurosurgeon in the world or even Shiloh’s nanobots managed to do, seemed preposterous. If the older woman made a joke, Shiloh didn’t find it funny.

“Aunt Helen, what are you talking about?” Cameron was the first to break the silence. They all knew how serious Shiloh’s condition was. Why would Helen even attempt to state an opinion if she wasn’t a specialist? Cameron almost growled at her for her insensitivity, but Helen explained.

“I don’t know if it would work, but it is worth a try. If I’m right, you are cured. If I’m wrong, your anatomy will be slightly altered,” she stated, and gave Shiloh an intense look.

Slightly altered – what did that even mean? Shiloh watched the nurse with apprehension. What could she possibly offer as a cure that could change her anatomy? But then it dawned on her. The bite. The bite of a werewolf that would turn her into one as well. On the way to Helen’s house, Shiloh thought of the possibility, but rather something done in a distant future. Although, distant future might be too much of a stretch, considering that her future could end tomorrow.

“What are you talking about Helen?” Evelyn asked, confused. She hoped that there was a cure for Shiloh, not just for her son’s sake, but also the girl’s. They might have not known her for long, but Evelyn already loved her. And after all the things that Alexander had told her about their future daughter-in-law, she couldn’t help but feel proud of her.

“I think Shiloh already figured that out. Am I right?” Helen asked with a smirk.

“I was kind of hoping to postpone a life-altering decision like that one for a later moment, but I guess now would be as good as any. Although, it feels like I am cheating,” Shiloh told the nurse, honestly.

“I wouldn’t say that. It is in our nature, human and werewolf alike, to save our lives. You have done it already. This would only be another way, another hope,” Helen said, smiling.

“I guess. Though the other methods wouldn’t have changed me completely,” Shiloh replied, leaving the other four Johnsons at a slight disadvantage as they hadn’t figured it out.

Helen nodded. She then proceeded to casually tell her how she and Aaron met and how he struggled to tell her what he truly was. He feared that she would run away and reject him, but by the time he finally found the courage, she was madly in love with him. Their love seemed almost doomed, because it was at the same time when Helen found out that her father was a werewolf hunter who disowned her the moment he found out. A fierce battle had followed between the Wolf’s Hill Pack and the hunters, with the wolves winning. Helen’s father lost his life, but, surprisingly, Helen wasn’t as upset about it as she would have been over losing her mate.

Listening to Helen’s story, Shiloh thought of what the woman told her, about her mate, about the love they shared, about how her life improved in more than one way. A werewolf was capable of living a lot longer than a human being, but no one had told her how long exactly. Helen also told her that she heard of cases when humans with ailments were turned and afterwards the disease was gone. They attributed the complete recovery to the fast werewolf healing. In a way, her nanobots did the same, yet she still held hope that Helen might be right.

“I just wish I could make the decision for the right reasons,” Shiloh suddenly said.

“What decision? What are you and Aunt Helen talking about?” Cameron asked, frustrated.

“Man, you’re thick. Must be that male Johnson gene,” Helen teased him.

“They’re talking about the bite, son,” Evelyn finally shed some light over the odd conversation between the two women.

“Wait. The bite could cure her?” Alexander asked, flabbergasted. Evelyn and Helen just rolled their eyes.

“It is a possibility. I’ve seen cancer patients who made a full recovery after the bite. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s worth a try. As I said, if I’m right, Shiloh is cured. If I’m wrong, she’ll be a werewolf with a tumor. But unless she tries, she’ll never know.”

Helen was right, Shiloh concluded. She had to do it. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Even if it would be a total bust and the tumor would still be there, at least Shiloh would be able to experience the whole mate bond like Cameron did. In a way, they would be closer together because of it. Yes, she wanted to do it. She wanted to be turned into a werewolf – for a potential cure, for the full experience of it, but mostly for Cameron. She wanted to give him her all while she still could. If whatever deity was watching and granted her this chance, she would be forever grateful for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, there might be a way to save her. Will she take the chance and let Cameron bite her or will she play it safe and wait for her bots to perform a miracle that becomes unlikely with each passing day?
> 
> Follow, vote and leave a comment to let me know what you think.


	15. Chapter 15

After returning to Shiloh’s house, Cameron wondered what Shiloh wanted to do. At his uncle’s house, Shiloh seemed to accept the idea of letting him turn her, but he also knew she didn’t want to get her hopes up. If his aunt was right and the bite did cure her by changing her DNA, then they would have a forever together. If his aunt was wrong, then all they did was getting both their hopes up for nothing.

In the car, Shiloh didn’t speak a word to him, staring at the dark night ahead of them as they returned into the woods. Cameron had no clue what she was thinking, if anything at all. He wanted to ask her how she felt, what she thought about, anything really, just to get her to talk again. The silence was deafening and he couldn’t take it any longer.

The moment they reached the house, Shiloh went straight to her bedroom, stripped her clothes and went to take a shower. She didn’t even glance at Cameron as he called after her. She knew he wanted to know what was going on, but on the way home she had already made up her mind. She wanted this, and she wanted him to turn her. No matter what would come, no matter how much time they had together, Shiloh wanted to spend it with him. All that was left for her to do was to make a list of things she needed to do while she was still human. Well, there weren’t many things, just a few specific ones, namely deactivating the biometric locks to her factory, The Void and the Lady Bug. Anything else could be reset later, but these three were vital to be changed before her turn.

Cameron was sitting in the living room, his head in his hands as he tried to figure out what went on in Shiloh’s mind. Did she change her mind? Was it just fear that it might not work or did she not want to become a werewolf? Or perhaps, and he dreaded that the most, she changed her mind about them.

“Cam,”Shiloh startled him.

“Yeah?” he acknowledged as he looked up. She was wearing comfortable sweat pants with a crop top and flip-flops.

“I have to deactivate the biometric locks. Would you come with me?” she asked, smiling. He didn’t quite understand what she meant, but nodded and stood up.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“First, we’re deactivating the biometric lock for the factory. Afterwards, I’ll set the lock to recognize you. Then, we go to the hangar and do the same, and finish off in The Void. After that is done, you’ll tell me what to do so that you can turn me,” she explained matter-of-factly, and Cameron didn’t know which question to ask first.

“What’s a biometric lock?” he decided to ask.

“A lock that combines three elements to unlock the door for you. Retinal scan, a DNA sample, meaning you get your finger poked to draw blood, and voice recognition,” Shiloh explained calmly.

“Okay. Why?” he inquired, as she dragged him through the house, towards the entrance to the factory.

“Why what?” she asked him, confused, as she stopped and turned to look at him.

“Why do you want the lock to recognize me?”

“Because I will need access back into my factory. And transferring the clearance to you seemed easier than using a lame passcode,” she told him, smirking.

“You would trust me with that?” Shiloh frowned.

“You mean, having access to my factory is more flabbergasting to you than me allowing you to change my DNA?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. Of course, she trusted him. What a dumb thing to ask.

As she put it like that, Cameron frowned at his own question. To him, being a werewolf was something natural, but he needed to remember that she gave up life as she knew it in favor of becoming a lycanthrope, like him. While she kept mumbling that it seemed unfair to accept the bite to save her own skin, Cameron saw the way she looked at him when Helen offered them hope. It wasn’t just for her survival. She wanted to be with Cameron. She chose Cameron before there even was hope. Nevertheless, changing from human to werewolf isn’t something anyone should take lightly. He only knew from his aunt how she had struggled with her decision. No matter how right something seems, in the end, you give something up to become someone else. So, changing DNA trumps biometric lock. That made sense.

Cameron watched in awe as she gained access to her factory and transferred all the security clearance to him. Once that was done, her computer scanned his retina, drew a sample of blood and he had to speak his name loud and clear to finish the process. The same thing happened at the hangar, where her spacecraft was still being repaired.

“Now to The Void,” she said excitedly.

“Not to sound dumb,” he started, and she gave him a meaningful look, “what’s The Void?”

“The place where we were yesterday. Where my ‘Thinkatorium’ is. I call it The Void simply because there is no kind of signal transfer possible, other than through the internal server I have set up there. It has something to do with a secret I will show you soon,” she told him mysteriously.

Frankly, that was the greatest secret she ever had and no one could know it. She would share it with him, because she trusted him. She still didn’t quite understand why she felt so at ease with him, but figured it had something to do with the mate bond. If the plan worked and she became a werewolf, she would be able to understand a lot of things Cameron talked about. Perhaps then, her own feelings would make more sense to her than they do at the moment.

Finishing up with the task at hand, Shiloh turned to Cameron and asked where he wanted to bite her. As he looked her up and down he pointed at her wrist, which made her chuckle.

“I meant, do we go into the woods or stay in the house,” she clarified.

“Oh. We could stay in the house, and when the time comes for you to shift, we can go outside,” he explained. Nodding, Shiloh stood on her tip-toes, placing a chaste kiss to his lips.

“No matter what happens, I’m glad I’m doing this. If it won’t work, at least this way I will be closer to you,” she confessed, and Cameron could see the fear in her eyes and hear the uncertainty in her voice.

Until she shifted, they couldn’t know if the bite did what they hoped it would. Until then, they needed to keep their minds off things they couldn’t influence.

Returning to the living room, Cameron got comfortable on the couch, while Shiloh went to the bathroom. When she returned a moment later, she was holding a small towel in her hand.

“For after you bite me,” she said, as she saw his confused expression. He nodded and beckoned her to sit next to him.

“Which one do you want?” he asked, referring to which wrist she would like for him to bite. Pointing at her left one, Cameron nodded and gently lifted it to his lips.

Shiloh’s breath hitched as she felt his soft lips press against the thin layer of skin of her wrist. He kissed her softly and inhaled her scent, memorizing it. He wasn’t quite sure if her scent would change after the bite or her first shift, but he wanted to commit the one she had now to memory.

Shiloh watched him curiously. He was so gentle and kind, the complete opposite of what anyone might think upon seeing him for the first time. He was tall, muscular, intimidating even, yet so caring and understanding that it seemed like a paradox. She used her other hand to caress his face when he didn’t look up at her for a long while. Purring lightly, Cameron looked up at his mate who had a soft smile on her face. He hoped to all the gods out there that Helen was right and that this bite, his bite, would save Shiloh. They had only spend a small amount of time together, yet Cameron was sure he would be broken beyond repair if he lost her. It had to work. It just had to. But for the time being, he needed to stay strong for her.

“This will hurt,” he warned her, before biting into her wrist.

Shiloh was surprised at first, her brain needing more time to process his words and then the pain from the bite. She didn’t cry out, as she thought she would, but gasped at the sharp sensation as his fangs pierced through her skin, drawing blood. The pain dulled down, but Cameron didn’t let go of her. She didn’t know if that was supposed to happen or maybe he suddenly thought he was a vampire, because next thing she knew, Cameron started licking her wound.

“So, I guess, you like your meals raw,” she joked and he laughed.

“No, you weirdo. I’m licking you clean so that the wound heals faster,” he teased her.

Once he was done, he took the towel from her and wrapped her wrist in it. Taking off his shoes, he lay down on the couch, pulling her with him, with her sitting between his legs, and her back against his chest. They weren’t completely laying down, but enough to be comfortable.

Cameron tried to answer her questions, since they didn’t really have a conversation beforehand about the bite and what would happen afterwards. Unlike what pop culture promoted about werewolves, it didn’t take a full moon for a werewolf to shift. Even after the bite, the person felt the change in their body. Cameron also assured her that it would take some time before her body was ready for its first shift into a lycanthrope.

“Will it hurt?” she asked, as she snuggled against him.

“It will,” he told her honestly. She winced in anticipation. “But only the first time. Afterwards, your body will remember what to do.”

“How do I change back?” she inquired further, wanting to know as many things as possible.

“You just think of yourself as human again. It should work quickly, and you won’t feel pain. At least I didn’t when I first shifted back,” Cameron told her truthfully. He still remembered how it was for his first shift. At the time he was twelve and even with all the preparations, he wasn’t ready for all of it.

“You’ll be there, right?” she suddenly asked, her voice panicky. Cameron kissed her temple, a small smile grazing his lips.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be,” he promised.

As they waited for the right time, which Cameron said would feel as if a volcano suddenly formed inside of her, Shiloh told him more about Nigel. Cameron already knew that Nigel Cartwright, her English friend who turned into a zombie, had died, but he was still unclear how he became that hideous creature.

Shiloh took a deep breath, wanting to get it over with as soon as she could, but also to explain to Cameron what he saw.

“You have to promise me that you will never speak a word of this to anyone, ever,” she said, gravely, while she turned her head to look at him. Cameron wasn’t sure why she was so adamant, but agreed. He even doubted anyone would have believed him, even if he did tell someone else.

Shiloh explained that a few days before the events he watched on video, Nigel had called her to the newest World Health Organization lab outside of Paris. Nigel, being a perfectionist, set up a private lab in a cabin out in the woods, not far from his workplace. Back then, she only knew that he was working on something important, and wanted her opinion. Shiloh knew he was testing a theory about drug-resistant viruses, but at the time, she had no idea that the virus he was referring to was one of his own making.

“I had this strange feeling when I reached his private lab. It was as if an invisible force was pushing me away from the door. I ignored it, because why should I be afraid of him. He was my friend and was always there for me. So, I knocked on the door and waited to be let inside,” she started saying.

Cameron listened intently as she described the feelings she had, mostly anxiety and dread, and wondered if at that point Nigel was already that zombie he saw.

“I only heard Nigel’s voice as he told me to let myself in, and as I did so, that force pushed me harder towards the woods instead of inside the safety of the cabin. Little did I know, that I would have been better off in the middle of a pack of wolves than with my best friend of so many years,” she said half jokingly.

“You should trust your instincts more,” Cameron commented.

“Yeah, well, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Or turns you into a zombie, I guess,” she replied, before resuming her story. “A chill ran down my spine as I entered the room. At that point, Nigel was still preoccupied with writing down notes. I didn’t want to disturb him, so I looked around his lab in silence. His field isn’t my area of expertise, so I had to double check each line I read until there was no doubt in my mind what he had done,” Shiloh’s voice came out as a trembling whisper.

“What did he do?”

“He committed a mortal sin,” came her grave voice.

“I don’t understand.”

“It is what we scientists call the defiance of nature. It is in our nature, so to say, to push the envelope, explore the universe in a way it has never been done before, but keeping in mind to not temper with the laws of nature. To have an idea of what I mean, think of time. Time travel is only possible in science fiction, and while I’m sure there are people out there who would love to travel back in time, me included,” she added quickly, “it goes against fundamental laws. So, we don’t do it. Same goes with tempering with the electro-magnetic field of the planet or weather or DNA, despite many attempts to temper with it already. Most of the things I’m talking about happen behind closed doors, where the public never has access to, but doesn’t mean it’s not happening. I know for certain about a researcher in the Ukraine who attempted to influence weather and another in China who tried to be a real-life Hammond,” Shiloh said, but Cameron had no idea who she meant.

“Who?” he asked, and Shiloh almost jumped up.

“Seriously?” she asked incredulously. “You don’t know what I mean?” He shook his head. “You don’t know who Hammond is?” Cameron shook his head again. Was he supposed to know? “Babe, the old guy who build Jurassic Park,” she said excitedly.

It took Cameron a moment to process what she meant, before it dawned on him. Jurassic Park – that’s a freaking movie.

“A movie? Really?” he asked sarcastically.

“No. Well, yeah. But the guy in China actually attempted to recreate dinosaurs. Last time I checked, he was pretty close to doing it, too,” she informed and Cameron’s eyes widened.

“You’re kidding.”

“No, I mean it. If you saw the movie, you have an idea why tempering with extinct animal DNA isn’t such a good idea. However, the need to know, the rush we feel is sometimes overwhelming, and we end up doing what is forbidden,” Shiloh told him, but Cameron noticed that she stopped looking him in the eyes. Did that mean she did something as well, a mortal sin? Pushing the thought out of his mind, he asked her to continue with her story about Nigel.

Cameron listened intently as Shiloh came to the realization that her friend had created the next pandemic in his lab. Demanding answers from him, the man she once knew turned around, and Shiloh knew that the thing in the room with her was no longer Nigel. His eyes were bulging, his pupils black, his skin was pale and sickly looking; his whole posture slack and hunching. The creature before her was no longer her kind and caring friend, but a monster. It was only then that Shiloh realized that in a moment of madness, Nigel must have injected himself with the virus he had created.

Shiloh remembered that day vividly. After all, it was what gave her the terrible nightmares. That day she had acted purely on instinct because the moment she realized what Nigel had done, her brain just decided to take a vacation. She didn’t even remember how or when she had decided to run out of the cabin, but she did. She ran as fast as she could and was grateful that the WHO lab wasn’t too far away. It was only because of her stubbornness to practice parkour when she was a teenager that she was able to jump over the metal gate to the facility. She almost didn’t expect anyone in there, since it was a Sunday, but to her relief, John Gaynor, Nigel’s boss was there. It was a matter of seconds that he decided to follow her lead into the facility, and from then on Cameron knew the rest.

“It was horrifying, not just because I got chased by a freaking zombie, but more so because he used to be my friend.”

Cameron didn’t know what to say. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought she was just reiterating a horror movie she had seen. Nevertheless, it didn’t matter. He held her close to his chest, and tried to comfort her as she shed a few tears for her dead friend. He wasn’t sure if it was even appropriate for him to ask more questions about the topic and decided to let it be. She needed him and the primal part within him was glad that she trusted and relied on him. It only meant that their bond was getting stronger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Cameron bit her. She was now like him. Hopefully, the bite would heal her from the cancer in her brain and allow the couple to have a long happy, love-filled life together.
> 
> What do you think of how Shiloh lost her friend to his own creation?
> 
> I didn’t want to make it overly graphic, since, honestly, I am terrified by zombies. :P


	16. Chapter 16

It was past midnight when Cameron took Shiloh out into the woods. She had started having the usual symptoms associated with the shift about half an hour prior. Cameron wanted to make sure before they left the house, but as Shiloh complained about how hot she felt and how every joint in her body ached, he knew it was time. She would shift any minute now, and it was better if that happened in the woods.

Shiloh was in so much pain that she thought her body would break in a thousand pieces. Why again was turning into a werewolf a good idea? Right. It supposedly cured her from the deadly brain tumor. She hoped to God that it would work, because the pain she endured so far due to massive headaches was nothing compared to what she felt in that particular moment.

Shiloh felt how her bones stretched in one part of her body, while in another they shrunk. She could feel a tingling right underneath her skin, as if something tried to crawl out. It felt like tiny ants crawled beneath her heated skin increasing the uncomfortable sensation in her limbs. Her midsection felt as if someone would pull at it while punching her at the same time. Her whole body ached as if she had been working out for hours.

“How much longer?” Shiloh asked through gasps. Cameron wished he knew. It was different for every wolf, but he hoped it would happen sooner rather than later. He hated seeing her in pain.

“Won’t be much longer,” he told her, but remained vague. Shiloh knew he had no clue, and only tried to comfort her. A part of her was angry that he didn’t have the answers she sought, but another was happy that they were in this together.

The pain became too much for her. Shiloh could barely think, let alone speak. Even breathing became a difficult task, but as Cameron held her in his arms, as he leaned against a tree trunk with Shiloh between his parted legs, her back against his chest, the pain seemed manageable. Shiloh wasn’t sure what allowed her to breathe easily again, but she had a suspicion that it was Cameron’s presence.

If she was honest with herself, having him there with her as she shed her human body in favor of a wolf’s was strangely comforting.

When a new wave of pain ran through her body, Shiloh curled down on the ground, praying to some God out there to make it stop already. She felt her bones break, her body temperature rise to reach volcanic stats, her whole being ripped apart and thrown around as claws grew out of her fingers, hair pushed through her skin and her entire frame reshaping itself slowly, too slowly for Shiloh’s liking, into the one of a wolf.

Cameron watched in both horror and awe as his mate valiantly endured the pain of her first shift. He saw grown werewolves who have been part wolf their whole lives, cry out harder and louder during their first shift. Shiloh just gasped and groaned as her body changed, taking the form of an oversized wolf.

Shiloh felt her human body disappear and making room for her wolfish form. She wanted so badly to see what was happening and cursed herself for not having thought of ordering a few drones to come out with them to film her. Damn!

“You can always watch yourself shift in your bedroom mirror,” a female voice said.

“Who said that?” Shiloh asked panicked. She looked around frantically, but other than Cameron, no one was there.

“I did. I am your wolf,” the voice replied with a chuckle.

“My wolf?” Shiloh asked, flabbergasted. Cameron had told her that he could communicate with his wolf-self, but at the time he said that, she didn’t quite grasp what that meant.

“Do you have a name?” Shiloh asked.

“Only if you want to name me, but I am you and you are me,” the voice told her. No, her wolf told her. Shiloh smiled but it felt odd. She wanted to reach out to touch her face, but then she noticed that the pain was gone.

Looking down to the ground, Shiloh gasped as she saw paws instead of hands. Spreading her fingers, she started kneading the earth beneath her, trying to get a feel of what it felt like to be an animal. She wanted to see herself so badly.

“Shiloh?” came Cameron’s husky voice, and Shiloh looked up.

“Mate! Mate! Our mate!” her wolf yelped excitedly.

“Calm down. I know he is my mate,” Shiloh said, chuckling.

“You calm down!” her wolf growled. “And he is OUR mate, not just yours, you selfish jerk. You almost deprived me of my handsome mate,” her wolf reprimanded her.

“What happened to OUR mate?” Shiloh asked her, sarcastically, and her wolf just growled in frustration.

“He is so handsome. And his wolf looks so strong and big. I bet he has a big cock, too,” her wolf said, and if Shiloh could have choked, she would have.

“Hey, get your mind out of the gutter, you horny animal.”

“Oh, shut up. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of that, too. I mean, look at him. He looks like a freaking god, with those big arms, those broad shoulders, that defined chest, and those delectable abs. Damn, he has beautiful eyes, and that hair,” she growled with lust.

Cameron heard Shiloh growl, and while she had only been a werewolf for a whole of five minutes, he already knew that the growl he just heard was lustful. He smirked at her reaction to him, figuring she and her wolf were still getting acquainted. Just like every wolf, hers had already recognized her mate, meaning his wolf.

Deciding that he wanted to know more about how she felt, he stood up from where he was sitting on the ground, and started stripping. He purposefully locked eyes with his mate as he undressed, taking the time to admire her.

She was a tall brownish wolf, or at least that’s what he saw in the dim light. Thankfully, the moon was shining down and illuminated the area they had chosen for her shift. Shiloh’s wolf was smaller than his, but that was normal. He was the Alpha and a male, whereas she was a female. Nevertheless, she was definitely taller than a regular she-wolf. Her eyes kept their emerald color which looked even more intense than before. Her scent was still hers, the one he first smelled in his dad’s office, but it intensified too. Once they would mate, his scent would be combined with hers, signaling to every wolf that she was mated and to a powerful alpha at that.

Shiloh watched her mate slowly undress. She felt her mouth watering at the sight of his perfect body suddenly completely revealed to her hungry eyes. She couldn’t help but admire him head to toe, but her perverted mind quickly zeroed in on his manhood. He looked impressive. He was larger than any guy she had ever seen. A part of her wondered if something as massive as his cock would fit into her barely used pussy, but at the same time she was more than eager to practice.

“Did you see that beautiful cock our mate has?” her wolf asked her, and Shiloh could vividly imagine a devilish smirk on the wolf’s face.

“You are way too horny for your own good,” Shiloh chuckled.

“I wouldn’t feel so smug if I were you. In two days from now is a full moon. If our mate doesn’t mark and mate us by then, we will go into heat,” her wolf warned her, and somehow Shiloh could tell that she was serious.

“What does that mean?” she inquired, wanting to know more.

“It means that when you go into heat you are super horny and won’t care who will fuck your brains out, as long as they get fucked out. That is why unmarked females stay near their mates during that time to avoid other males mounting them.”

Shiloh tried to understand what her wolf was telling her, when Cameron’s voice resounded in her head. Looking towards where she last saw him, before she got distracted by her horny wolf, Shiloh didn’t see him, but a beautiful dark wolf. Shiloh wasn’t entirely sure if his fur coat was black or a dark shade of brown, but he looked beautiful. He was taller than her, muscular and exuding power, just like his human form. His eyes were different, though, golden, but still kind and trustworthy.

“Shiloh?” she heard his voice in her head and her eyes widened.

“Cameron?” she asked in her mind, and was surprised when the other wolf nodded its head. “How?”

“Mind link,” he replied. “The moment I bit you, a new, stronger bond was formed between us. Usually, it takes several hours before two wolves can mind link each other, but I am an Alpha and you are my mate.”

“I understand. I think,” she told him honestly, and he chuckled. “Cam?” she asked, and she heard him hum through the mind link. “There’s a wolf in my head,” she told him, despite him probably knowing that.

“I know,” came his immediate answer.

“She’s really horny,” Shiloh confessed, and Cameron barked. Shiloh figured it was a sign of laughter, but then Cameron came closer to her and nuzzled her neck, inhaling her scent.

“You smell so good. Vanilla and papaya.”

“You smell good, too,” she told him, as she took a deep breath, close to his buffed chest.

“What do I smell like?” he inquired. Every wolf smelled differently, and only their mate could sense their true scent.

“Musk and sandalwood,” purred Shiloh. “Isn’t that your cologne?” she asked him confused.

“I don’t wear any. Why would you think it was cologne?” he asked her.

“Because you always smell like this.”

Cameron remained quiet as he thought of what she said. Perhaps, the mate bond was stronger than he thought when she was able to smell him even as a human. He then proceeded to explain her how scenting worked, while rubbing his fur against hers. Shiloh could barely listen to him as she let herself forget the world around her.

“I wanna run through the forest,” she suddenly told him, startling him.

Instructing her on what to do, the pair started strolling through the woods, allowing Shiloh to get used to her new body. It took her a few tries before she was able to coordinate her steps without tripping over her own paws. Cameron was patient with her, and always helped her back up when she fell down.

They decided to just walk for a while for Shiloh to get used to the new sensations, and for Cameron to point out scents or noises that a human would never smell or hear. He slowly taught her what to expect now that she was a werewolf. Shiloh was eager to learn everything he had to teach her, but she felt it took too long. She wanted to know everything at once.

It took them about an hour through the woods, walking leisurely while Cameron explained to her several things regarding wolf life. He talked about their society, about their pack, about what obligations she would face now that she was to become his Luna.

“Do you know where Luna comes from?” Shiloh suddenly asked.

Cameron stopped in front of her and looked her in the eyes. He knew a few things, but he wasn’t all that eager to learn about myths and whatnot. He was more preoccupied to be trained as a warrior first and then an Alpha. Once he became the Alpha, he had more important things to think about.

“Tell me,” he mind linked her.

“Luna is the Latin word for moon. In Roman mythology, Luna was just one of the goddesses associated with the Moon. The Romans borrowed her from the Greeks, where she was called Selene. There is a legend involving Selene.”

“Would you mind telling it?” Cameron asked, and Shiloh’s wolf nodded.

“One night, as Selene traveled in her silver chariot across the sky, the goddess looked down and discovered a young shepherd who was fast asleep. Descending down to Earth, Selene wanted to take a closer look and admire the beauty of the young man. It is said that, when the shepherd, Endymion his name was, opened his eyes, he fell madly in love with her, but as a mortal wasn’t allowed to touch her. Selene was heartbroken and vowed to take revenge on the other gods for keeping her from the one she loved, but her divine brothers and sisters conspired against her. With the help of an ancient witch, old as time itself, the gods turned Endymion into a wolf, and condemning him to roam the dirt as a wild beast, hideous to look at and therefore never to be found by Selene. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, took pity on the two lovers, and offered them a solution. If Selene would find Endymion by just staring into his eyes, then the goddess would grant them one night of passion.”

“Did she?” Cameron asked, curiously.

“She did. It took Selene nearly two centuries to find him. The light of the full moon showed Selene the true form of the wolves she encountered until she finally found her mate. True to her word, Aphrodite turned Endymion back into his human form. He and Selene loved each other until the moon disappeared and made way for the sun to rise. When Selene woke in the morning, her beloved was a wolf once more, but she vowed never to lose sight of him. The gods, however, where outraged by what had transpired, since Selene was now carrying a new species, furthermore called lycanthropes. Zeus and his brothers vowed to kill all the wolves in the world, but Selene was smart, and shielded them.”

“How?” Cameron hung on every word she told him. He never thought a mythology lesson could be so fascinating until he heard her tell him that particular story.

“Selene fled to Rome. Finding a temple that worshipped her under a different name, Selene gave birth to a son, whom she named Lycan. Lycan was the first of his kind, but certainly not the last. Selene, wanting to save her child, traveled to the Moon and gathered lunar dust to brew a potion.”

“What kind of potion?” Cameron asked impatiently. Shiloh had to smirk at his unwillingness to wait, and decided not to keep him waiting for too long.

“She brought back the lunar dust and when she entered her temple, she called her son, who was the only one, other than her, able to find his father. Selene mixed the dust with hairs from Endymion’s coat and blood from her veins, which she then gave Lycan to drink. The potion allowed Lycan to turn others into a genetic hybrid, like he was. He was part wolf, human and god.”

“Why did he drink the potion?” Cameron inquired.

“To bite others and turn them into werewolves,” Shiloh responded matter-of-factly. She thought she had already established that.

“I know, but why would he bite others?” Cameron asked her, and rolled his eyes. Shiloh giggled, but then continued her story.

“The gods were still trying to kill Lycan. By turning others into werewolves, the gods didn’t know which one was which. Unless they would have wiped out both species, wolves and humans, the gods had no other choice but leave them be.”

“Why would they do that?” came Cameron’s husky voice, as he turned into his human self again.

Sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree, he watched his mate as she stared at him, her head slightly tilted to the side. Cameron chuckled and beckoned her to come closer to him so that he could scratch behind her ear. Shiloh purred in delight, and almost forgot what he had asked, when he repeated the question.

“The Oracles told him that in a fight against Ares, Lycan would fight with Zeus and defeat the god of war. Realizing the potential werewolves held, Zeus tried to exploit them, but Selene organized them into packs and send her son to teach the strongest among them to be leaders, and heed their Alpha King’s call when he howled. Selene was the first Luna, the first of her kind, who would protect the weak ones with her life. Every single human her son turned became Selene’s son or daughter. Every werewolf was made out of the love that Selene and Endymion once shared, because Lycan only offered the bite to those who were worthy, those who looked to find their one true love, not to those that waged war.”

“How do you know all this?” Cameron wanted to know.

“I read,” came her smug reply, and her mate rolled his eyes anew, an amused grin on his face. “How do I shift back?”

“Focus on your human body. Best close your eyes and picture yourself standing on your own two feet,” he advised.

Shiloh closed her eyes as he suggested and tried to imagine her human body. She thought of her feet, with their ten toes, her ankles, her legs; she imagined her abdomen and her arms that ended in hands and fingers. She imagined her head, with the bob-styled hair. She pictured her reflection in a mirror. Somehow, she felt nervous. When she had shifted into the wolf, Shiloh was in so much pain, that it felt impossible for her to not feel something shifting back. But as she opened her eyes, she looked down at Cameron’s naked figure, who smirked devilishly at her. Looking down at herself, Shiloh saw that it actually worked. She was back in her human body, her naked human body.

Realizing she was stark naked, Shiloh turned around, trying to shield herself from Cameron’s burning gaze.

“Beautiful both from the front and the back,” he commented, and Shiloh let out a frustrated growl.

“Perv!” she muttered.

“Only with you, my Luna.”

Shiloh heard shuffling, and a moment later felt Cameron’s hot body stand right behind her. His arms immediately encircled her smaller frame, pressing her back to his front, letting her feel every inch of him, including his erect member.

Cameron nearly lost his mind at the sweet touch of their bodies, and fought very hard to keep his wolf from coming out and devouring their mate. Unlike before, Cameron couldn’t argue that Shiloh was human and didn’t understand their ways, because now she was a werewolf, just like him. Nevertheless, he would let her set the pace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Shiloh’s first shift. She is now a werewolf. And, what about that legend?
> 
> Let me know what you guys think. Happy reading!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is a bit longer than the others and it contains mature content, so be advised.
> 
> Happy reading!

Shiloh was resting against her mate on the forest floor as they talked about the pack and what would happen next. Cameron tried to explain to her as best as he could what her new responsibilities were. He was surprised to learn that she actually knew many things about his world, things not even he knew. He also wasn’t at all surprised when she asked for more learning material.

It was a bit awkward at first when Shiloh had to sit on the cold ground, with her mate behind her, just as naked as she was, but she found that she didn’t feel the cold. Cameron explained that it was due to her wolf that she didn’t feel it anymore, but also because of him. Together, they were stronger, faster and healed quicker.

As embarrassed as Shiloh felt at first, as comfortable she felt now as she was in Cameron’s strong arms. Cameron held his arms around her smaller frame, trying to shield her from everything as he placed soft kisses to the spot where he would mark her.

“What you doing?” she asked him curiously.

“Kissing you,” he told her between kisses. Shiloh giggled when he tickled her with his beard. She found that he looked sexier with a full-grown beard than just the scruff he showed off when they first met. “Did I tickle you?” he asked, and she nodded. “I should shave when we get back,” he said more to himself.

“No,” came her immediate reply, and Cameron gave her a curious look. “I like your beard. It’s so,” she struggled to find the right word, which caused Cameron to smirk.

“So, what?” he asked, grinning.

“So manly,” she finally responded, her eyes glazing over with lust.

Acting on instinct, Cameron crashed his mouth over hers, capturing her lips in a fevered kiss. Shiloh moaned in delight as she felt his tongue push into her mouth, searching out her tongue to mate with it. When he cupped her breasts, playing with them, Shiloh purred in satisfaction, arching her back to push her chest more into his skilled touch. Cameron growled lustfully as he felt her giving up control and submitting to him. He wasn’t quite sure if it was Shiloh or her wolf, but in the end, they were the same person, just like he and his wolf were.

Shiloh felt hot, she felt as if she was burning from the inside out, but unlike before, when her body prepared itself to shift into an animal, the heat she felt now was different. She slowly turned around, and straddled his lap, always aware of his manhood pressed against her. Cameron growled in delight as he felt her scorching heat close to his shaft and nearly lost it when he breathed in her arousal.

“Shi, we have to stop,” Cameron told her, despite wanting to continue.

“Why?” came her small voice. Cameron looked up at her and almost whined when he saw her sad eyes.

“No, baby, don’t be sad. I just meant, if we don’t stop now, I won’t be able to stop myself once we get going,” he tried to explain to her. He didn’t want her to think that he rejected her, far from it. He just didn’t think she would want their first time to be in the middle of the woods.

“What if I don’t want you to stop?” Shiloh pouted, and Cameron kissed it away. If she would have asked for the world, he would have given it to her.

“Are you sure you want me to make love to you on the dirty forest floor?” he asked her, wanting to make her realize that it wouldn’t be romantic or even comfortable.

Looking around, Shiloh realized that she might have let her emotions get the better of her, but she wanted Cameron to know that she wanted this; she wanted him. She was ready. When she had made the decision to accept him, she did it not only to not hurt him, but also to find a shred of happiness in what she could only assume were her last days. She still didn’t know if the bite had cured her, but it didn’t matter either. She just wanted to be with her mate.

Changing into a werewolf, Shiloh suddenly saw the world differently, understood feelings she couldn’t place before. She knew how deep her feelings for Cameron went despite them only knowing each other for a short amount of time. But that was precisely why their bond was so precious. They could have that night or they could have eternity together. It didn’t matter in the end. All that mattered was that they were together and Shiloh wanted to give all of her to him and receive all of him in return, to keep the memory of their union as she passed into the next life.

“Race you to my house,” she suddenly told him playfully.

Cameron barely had time to process her words when she jumped up and started running towards her house. She giggled as she ran through the woods, occasionally looking backwards to see if he was chasing her. Her wolf told her that male wolves loved to chase their mates through the forest. It was something primal, something that aroused them.

It didn’t take Cameron too long to follow her, running fast behind her, laughing at her enthusiasm. He would catch up to her, and he would throw her over his shoulder and carry her into her bedroom, where he would finally make sweet love to her.

His father was right. He needed to be patient to appreciate the gift that a mate was. He appreciated it even more because Shiloh was human when they met and he had to work hard to earn her trust and affection. He would cherish the memory of that chase and hoped that the Moon Goddess would allow them more than one night together.

Running fast after her, Cameron smiled widely as he heard her excited laughter. It was music to his ears and he vowed to keep doing everything in his power to hear the sound for as long as possible.

Shiloh wondered if she should shift into her wolf, but she was just as happy running through the woods in her human form. She didn’t even mind that she was completely naked and anyone could have seen her. In the end, all that mattered to her was her mate, and he seemed happy to be doing something so primal. Shiloh promised herself that they would do something else that was just as primal, but certainly more delightful than a chase through the forest.

“You are so lame, babe. You can’t even catch your mate,” Shiloh teased.

Cameron growled, signaling that he accepted the challenge. Shiloh wanted to turn around to look at him anew, but just then, she was swept off her feet and thrown over Cameron’s shoulder. Shiloh laughed at the sudden turn of events and slapped Cameron’s butt hard. It didn’t even faze him in the least, and he returned it by spanking her.

“Hey,” Shiloh protested. “Why’d you spank me?” she asked, as she was still hanging over his shoulder.

“You started it, you little minx,” he laughed.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she played dumb, and Cameron smirked. Yes, he definitely liked her playful side. He hoped that she was just as playful in the bedroom.

Reaching her house, they hurried inside and went straight to Shiloh’s bedroom. Not wanting to ruin the sheets, Cameron suggested they first took a shower, and when Shiloh didn’t object to them saving water, Cameron did a mental somersault.

As they were standing underneath the warm spray of water, Shiloh relaxed into his touch as he massaged her shoulders. The simple gesture was filled with sexual tension but also love. Cameron knew already that he had fallen hard for her, and not just because they were mates. Shiloh had a similar feeling, but didn’t want to utter the word just yet. It was still confusing to her how she went from not knowing who or what Cameron was one week, only to be already head over heels for him the next.

Enjoying the simple touches they shared in the shower, Cameron proceeded to wash her thoroughly. He never thought taking a shower with his mate could be both so erotic and relaxing at the same time. While he had a hard-on the whole time, Cameron was more than content to just wash and massage her, making her relax. She had a tough night already and he vividly remembered his first shift. If they would enter her bedroom later and she wanted to sleep, that was fine with him. The mere knowledge that she wanted him as much as he wanted her boosted his confidence and reassured him that the mate bond was stronger than ever before and once they mated and he marked her, they would finally be complete, two parts of the same soul, united for eternity.

“My turn,” Shiloh suddenly said when Cameron tried to wash her hair.

“I wasn’t done, yet,” he protested.

“Relax. You can wash my hair later. It’s my turn to clean you up,” she told him with a loving smile.

Cameron felt like he was melting under her touch. He closed his eyes wanting to savor the magnificent sensations of her hands on his body. It was very hard for him to keep his mind focused on something other than his naked mate currently washing his naked form, taking her sweet time to tease him mercilessly.

Shiloh had certainly other things on her own mind as she helped her mate relax. She never liked spending too much time with other people, even when she got intimate with the few other men she had been with. None of them came even close to Cameron in any way. To Shiloh, Cameron was perfect. And it wasn’t even his marvelous physique, which was already a huge plus in her book. Actually, that would be a huge plus in anyone’s book. But it was his charming personality, his kindness and honesty, his passion and determination, his protectiveness and devotion. Shiloh never had something like that before and she would be a complete liar if she would have said she didn’t like it. She loved the way he doted on her, the way he treated her and cherished her. She adored their conversations, their little arguments that resulted from both of them being stubborn, their fevered kisses, loving caresses and lustful embraces. Yes, she loved him. She had no clue when it happened or how, but she fell in love with him. And she wanted to show him that.

Cameron never felt so relaxed in his entire life. Every touch of hers was like heaven and he barely managed to keep his mind focused. He felt her hands roam his body, exploring every inch, every crevice and every hill. He wanted her to touch him everywhere and he wanted to do the same with her body. Cameron nearly fainted when he felt her delicate hand on his member.

Looking down, Cameron looked at his mate in surprise as he found her kneeling in front of him, caressing his shaft, while staring at the oozing head. Shiloh didn’t care how slutty she might have looked in that moment, because she wanted to pleasure him, and with that in mind, she kissed the tip of his impressive length.

Cameron watched her mesmerized, as she tentatively tasted him. He wanted to commit the experience to memory, but her hands and mouth on him felt so wonderful that he closed his eyes with a contented sigh. Shiloh took his reaction as an encouragement to continue and gently started stroking him. He was big, bigger than any other guy she had before. She wasn’t sure how she would be able to fit him inside her, but she wouldn’t go as far as to deny herself the experience.

Shiloh ran her tongue over the underside of his cock, from base to tip, leaving a wet trail in her wake. She watched in delight as Cameron shuddered under her ministrations, and smiled devilishly. Kissing the soft skin of his hard member, Shiloh blew cold air over Cameron’s manhood, giggling when she heard him growl. Deciding to get down to business, Shiloh licked the shaft a few more times, before she opened her mouth and swallowed the thick tip. Bobbing her head up and down his length, Shiloh reached for his heavy balls, massaging them gently to create contrast between her firm sucking of the shaft and the featherlike touches of his testicles.

Cameron was close to the edge as he felt her wonderful mouth swallow him whole, surprised that she could even manage that. No other girl was ever able to take him entirely, not even in her vagina, let alone her mouth. Cameron knew fully well that he was well endowed and proud of that, too. But as much as he would have loved to empty his balls in her charming mouth, he wanted the first ever load to be deep inside her delicious pussy. They would have plenty of time to do all kinds of kinky things later. For now, he just wanted to pick his mate up, carry her to her bed and make sweet love to her.

Surprised by Cameron’s sudden action, Shiloh looked up at him confused. Did she do something wrong? Didn’t he like what she was doing? The loving smile on Cameron’s face, though, reassured her, and she gave into him, allowing him to pick her up bridal style and carry her into the bedroom.

Laying her down on the soft bed, Cameron took a moment to admire her exquisite form, thanking the Goddess for such a beautiful and sexy mate. Allowing his hungry eyes to feast on her angel-like image, Cameron kneeled down at the edge of the bed, pulling her closer to his face. He licked his lips in anticipation, feeling his mouth watering. If he would be a death row inmate, and this would be his last meal, he would die a happy man.

Shiloh was trembling with nervous energy. She was never as excited about being intimate with a man as she was with Cameron. She knew she could trust him and he would always catch her if she were to fall, but she wanted their first time to be special.

Cameron ran his hands up and down Shiloh’s thighs, putting slight pressure on them as he moved them up. His thumbs came dangerously close to where Shiloh needed him most, and every time she thought he would touch her there, Cameron pulled back, teasing her to no end. Shiloh whined the third time he did that, and Cameron chuckled.

“Meanie,” she told him, breathlessly.

“Am I?”

Cameron brought his face closer to her womanhood, blowing cold air onto her moist entrance, making her shiver violently. Smirking at the effect he had on her, Cameron darted out his tongue, licking her hairless folds. The touch of his tongue on her pussy made Shiloh arch her back off the bed, bringing her vagina closer to his face. Cameron pushed her back on the bed, holding her thighs down, as he lapped viciously at her overflowing juices, feasting on her like a starved man. He couldn’t remember ever tasting anything as good as her love juices and promised himself to take his time the next time they were intimate to thoroughly eat her out, but for now he had to keep his focus.

Shiloh felt hot and oversensitive as she felt each stroke of his tongue, each caress of his hands, each breath he took. She was so beyond ready and needy that she pleaded with him to stop the teasing and fuck her already.

Cameron smirked smugly at her request and crawled up her body, aligning his shaft with her sweet entrance. Staring into her eyes, Cameron wanted to tell her that he loved her already, but knew deep down that it might be too soon for her to hear. Nevertheless, he decided to show it to her until she was ready to hear the words.

Shiloh was reaching out to bring his face closer to hers so that she could kiss his soft lips. The sparks she always felt when they touched where tenfold when they kissed, so intense that it made her eyes roll back into her head. She was so happy that she was sure no words could ever capture the depth of the feelings she had for her mate.

The pair kissed passionately for a long while, enjoying their moment of peace and bliss, but soon they needed more. Soon they needed to be more than two halves of one soul.

Cameron kept kissing his mate, caressing and touching wherever he reached, while aligning his hard, throbbing cock with her slick and ready entrance. Teasing her with the tip of it, Cameron smiled when she groaned in frustration, hooking one leg around his hip, urging him to enter her.

Breaking the kiss, Cameron looked down at her lovingly. Shiloh nodded encouragingly at him, letting him know that she was ready, that she trusted him and that she wanted to be with him.

Cameron felt like he should have said something; something romantic; something memorable, but nothing came to mind. The only thing he wanted to tell her was that he loved her, but he knew it was too soon.

“No, it’s not,” his wolf growled at him. “Don’t you feel it? She loves us, too. I can feel it through our bond,” he insisted.

“Shut up!” Cameron growled at his wolf.

Bringing his mouth over hers again, he slowly pushed his tongue into her mouth, and his cock into her pussy. Shiloh felt his massive shaft stretching her and mentally prepared herself for some sort of pain, but it never came. It was as if her pussy knew that they belonged together. What was she thinking? The whole concept of mates was based on the idea that the Moon Goddess made them to be perfect for each other. Of course, he would fit perfectly inside of her. Of course, he would fill her up completely, leaving no room there for anything other than him.

Cameron melted against her as he finally entered her hot, wet core. She was so tight around his haft, squeezing him deliciously, that he had to breathe in a few times to try and calm himself down and not finish early. He wanted their first time to last at least a few minutes. Being inside her was incredible, better than any fantasy he ever had. It was as if Cameron was gone his whole life, and now, finally, returned home; because there was no home where she wasn’t.

The moment Cameron was deep inside of her, Shiloh opened her eyes, realizing for the first time that she had closed them, only to stare into his beautiful sky-like ones.

“Did I hurt you?”he asked, concerned.

“No. You are really big,” she said chuckling, and he grinned smugly, “but it’s a good thing.”

“I’m glad. I didn’t want to disappoint my mate,” he told her honestly.

“Well, the night is still young. You’ll have plenty of chances,” she teased.

If he wouldn’t have been so stunned by her words, he was sure he would have had a comeback. Cameron had to admit that he loved her playful side, teasing and joking, and mostly carefree.

“Who’s the meanie now?” he teased back, causing Shiloh to laugh.

“I guess, we both are,” she pondered, and decided to get their activities back on track.

Squeezing his cock with her tight walls, Shiloh elicited a deep growl from her mate that made her shiver in anticipation. Cameron took her eagerness as a good sign and started pulling out of her, before slamming back in. A breath caught in Shiloh’s throat, as she felt the tip of his cock hit her womb.

Cameron started thrusting in earnest, watching her as she allowed herself to succumb to her pleasure. Bending forward, Cameron started kissing the area where he would mark her, but as he trailed kisses along her neck, he remembered that they never discussed him marking her. It was a normal process for wolves to mark their mates, but she was still new to this.

“Babe?” he breathed next to her ear, making her shiver. Shiloh only hummed in response. “May I mark you?”

Shiloh’s eyes opened and she stared at him. His eyes betrayed the raw emotions he felt, as he was still moving inside her core.

“I thought that was implied when we moved to a more pleasurable activity,” she told him with a sweet smile on her face.

Cameron couldn’t help but reciprocate it before capturing her lips in a scorching kiss. Increasing his pace, Cameron allowed his right hand to caress her left breast, kneading the flesh thoroughly, while holding himself up with his left arm as to not crush her under his weight. Shiloh’s arms snaked around his upper body, pulling him closer and lifting herself up enough to press her whole body flush against his. Cameron left her lips in favor of the sweet flesh of her neck, trailing hot kisses down his path towards the place where he would mark her. Mind linking her, Cameron warned her that she would feel pain when his fangs would finally sink into her, marking her for everyone to know that she was his.

Shiloh already knew what to expect since just hours prior he had bitten her to turn her into a werewolf. She didn’t mind the pain. She wanted to be his completely and trusted him with all her being. No pain in the world would stop her from being with him in every possible way.

Kissing and licking the junction of her neck and shoulder, Cameron felt his release quickly coming, and picked up speed again. He knew that it didn’t really matter when or how he would mark her, but he knew from other wolves that it was easier for their mates if the marking happened right before the she-wolf climaxed. Wanting to make this a pleasurable and fond memory for her, Cameron helped her body to chase her own orgasm, as he kept kissing, caressing and thrusting into her.

“I’m so close, baby,” she panted, her breath hitched at the pet name. Cameron smiled to himself.

Thrusting hard and deep into her, Cameron felt how his cock hit her womb and his mind, momentarily, wandered to a time when they would do this to make a pup. A primal urge overcame Cameron in that moment, wanting to fill her womb with his seed, ensuring that by the end of the night she’d be carrying his offspring. But as the thought came, it also went away quickly. They still had to find out if his bite had cured her or not. He hoped that it did.

Feeling his own release approaching rapidly and her vaginal walls closing down on him, Cameron pulled back to admire his beautiful mate. Her eyes were closed, but her smile was bright. She was happy. He made her happy. He almost hated the idea of hurting her, but it was necessary. Once she was marked, she was his completely.

Cameron’s face stretched out, making room for the wolfish muzzle and the sharp fangs. There was no more time; Cameron knew that. Biting down into her shoulder, Shiloh cried out in pain at first, feeling the werewolf’s fangs penetrate her skin and muscle, before a blinding pleasure overcame her and she climaxed with Cameron’s name on her lips. The pain came so suddenly but was replaced just as quick with an intense pleasure she had never felt before.

Breathing heavily underneath her large mate, Shiloh clung to his body, breathing in his unique scent when she felt him pull out of her. Watching with rapt curiosity what was going on, Shiloh looked down her body where she found her mate jerking off over her spent form. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but she remained silent.

Cameron wanted nothing more than to finish inside of her, but that would have been dangerous. If he wouldn’t have thought about them having pups, he might not have realized that if he had released his seed inside of her, she could have gotten pregnant. He wanted that, of course, but he also knew that Shiloh wouldn’t have appreciated it. They still had a few things to discuss before the topic of kids came up.

“Why didn’t you come inside me?” Shiloh asked with frustration. Cameron looked at her confused, but then realized she might have gotten the wrong idea.

“Babe, if I would have finished inside of you, you could have gotten pregnant,” he told her, laying down next to her, nuzzling her neck where his mark was. He breathed her in, and he could smell himself on her. Now she was finally his. He kissed her shoulder and pulled her into his arms. She giggled when he kissed her again, his beard tickling her.

“Hon, I’m on the pill.”

“Human meds don’t really work on us,” he tried to explain to her. Shiloh turned around, a shocked expression on her face. “We’ll go see the pack doctor tomorrow so that you can get something resistant to werewolf sperm,” he told her and she laughed a little. “What’s so funny?”

“Werewolf sperm? I know what you mean, but it still sounds strange,” she told him with a chuckle. Rolling his eyes, he kissed her lips and snuggled her.

Both mates remained silent for a while, each thinking back to the events of the night and how they had completed the mating process. Shiloh still wanted to learn more about what she had become and had a million questions for her mate, but fatigue won over, and she fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoyed the love making scene.
> 
> Please vote and leave a comment, so I know what you think.


	18. Chapter 18

It was late morning when Shiloh woke up from a pleasant dream. The unmistakable feeling of having to pee signaled her that it was time to get out of bed, but that turned out to be harder to do since her mate had her completely trapped in his arms.

Shiloh smiled to herself, remembering the events of the night before. She still had to get used to the idea that she was now a werewolf and had a wolf living in her head; a very horny wolf. Cameron was her mate and they were finally complete after he made love to her and marked her. Reaching out to touch the place where he bit her, Shiloh shivered in pleasure.

“It’s very sensitive now,” her wolf told her.

“Will it stay that way or fade in time?” Shiloh inquired.

“The scar will fade, but werewolves will still see it and they will smell our mate on us. But it will always be sensitive to touch, especially when our sexy hunk of a mate kisses us there,” she purred. Shiloh rolled her eyes.

Trying hard to wiggle out of Cameron’s embrace, Shiloh sighed in defeat when he pulled her back towards him for the third time.

“Cam, babe,” she said softly, not wanting to startle him. Cameron only hummed and she smiled. “Babe, let go.”

“No,” he whined. Shiloh chuckled.

“I gotta go,” she insisted.

“Don’t go. Stay. Don’t leave me,” he murmured, and it warmed her hearing him say that. But then, she realized what else he said. He didn’t want her to leave him, but if she still had that tumor in her head, then she had no choice.

“I gotta pee,” she tried to argue. Cameron groaned and buried his face in her neck, breathing her in.

“Be quick, and come straight back. I wanna cuddle some more,” he finally gave in and let her go. Shiloh laughed at his whiney morning persona, and kissed his lips softly as she got out of bed.

She picked up his shirt, pulling it over her slender frame, and entered the bathroom. Sitting down on the toilet and relieving her bladder, Shiloh couldn’t take it any longer, and ordered Sarah to show her how her brain looked like that morning.

It was a good thing that Shiloh was sitting down, because otherwise she was sure she would have fallen to her knees.

The tumor was gone. Completely gone. There was no trace of it whatsoever. It almost looked as if it had never even been there. Shiloh couldn’t understand it. Sure, she had hoped her mate’s bite would have boosted her immunity or something, but she would have never thought it would make the tumor vanish overnight.

Deciding to see for herself, Shiloh ordered her AI to show her what had happened to her brain from the moment she transferred security clearance to her place to her mate until that very moment when she was sitting on her toilet, peeing.

The hologram of Shiloh’s brain appeared in front of her and watching a time lapse of the past twelve hours, Shiloh watched mesmerized as the bite to her wrist cracked the otherwise solid tumor in tiny pieces. But, it didn’t completely disappear as she watched her brain change its chemistry slightly as Shiloh went through her first ever shift. Nothing happened to the tumor until a new pain surge showed up in her brain and Shiloh realized that that was the second bite her mate gave her, the bite that had marked her. Confused, Shiloh watched as the tumor started dissolving itself and vanish completely.

“Shiloh?” came Cameron’s panicked voice.

Startled by her mate, Shiloh cleaned herself up, washed her hands and opened the door. She found Cameron standing in the door with her bedsheets that held traces of blood.

“I hurt you so badly, you bled,” he told her, remorsefully.

Shiloh thought about it, and she couldn’t remember feeling hurt. Sure, she was sore, but come on; being filled to the brim by his magnificent cock would do that to you. Right? As for the mark, he immediately started licking her clean to seal the wound. The only other explanation was that the blood on the sheets were what was left of her tumor. A smile crept onto her face and stayed there.

Cameron watched her confused. Why was she smiling? He looked her up and down, and couldn’t help but notice his own shirt on her. He felt proud and extremely possessive as he took a deep breath of her. She smelt of him. Well, she smelt of the both of them, which was only natural now that they were mated.

“Cameron, it worked,” she finally broke her silence.

He didn’t know what she meant, until he looked behind her and saw the hologram of her brain. Stepping into the bathroom, Cameron took a closer look. Her brain was tumor-free. She was cured. She would live. His mate would live. They had a long life ahead. A life filled with love. A life that he vowed would be happy and carefree for her. He would keep her safe from every harm.

Shiloh showed him the time lapse and explained what he saw. She showed him the spike in her brain that signaled the pain she felt when he bit her wrist, then the constant pain she felt while she went through her first shift and then the last spike when he marked her. To Cameron, seeing what went on in her brain when she had experienced all of last night’s events was fascinating. When they got to the part where the tumor simply disappeared, he seemed to understand that the blood on the sheets was all that was left of the malign growth that threatened to take his mate away.

“Cam, you saved me,” Shiloh said with tears in her eyes.

Turning around to look at her, Cameron dropped the sheets, and picked up his mate, holding her tightly in his arms. He silently vowed to never, ever let her go and cherish each moment they had together, for it was a gift.

The two lovers returned to the bedroom but soon left in favor for the kitchen since both seemed famished. Cameron noted that Shiloh was a lot more outgoing than she used to be, but wasn’t sure if it was due to their new relationship or the fact that she was now finally comfortable enough to think of their future with hope.

“Explain to me how you even thought of pulling out. I mean, it didn’t even cross my mind that my birth control couldn’t work,” she commented, while taking a sip from her coffee.

They were both sitting at her kitchen table, Cameron had cooked them breakfast again, while Shiloh was on coffee and OJ detail. Cameron wondered if he should tell her the thoughts that had crossed his mind in that moment, but wasn’t sure how she would react.

“Just tell her, you wuss,” his wolf admonished.

“Shut up!” Cameron growled at him.

“Cam?” Shiloh asked, when he was quiet for too long.

“Sorry. My annoying wolf keeps bugging me,” he told her. He didn’t want her to think that he was avoiding the question.

“Yeah, you were, you pussy,” his wolf taunted. Ignoring the beast within him, Cameron turned to his mate.

“While we made love, for a moment my mind went to a more primal, instinctual place. I thought of how I could impregnate you and by morning you would be carrying my pup,” he told her.

Shiloh remained silent for a moment. She didn’t quite know what to think of that. She never really thought of herself as a mom. It’s not that she didn’t like kids, other than those who used to tease her when she was a kid herself, but with her job and then her illness, she didn’t consider ever getting pregnant.

“Did you hear? Our mate wants us to carry his pups. Isn’t that wonderful?” her wolf gushed.

“Calm down. Not only are you overly horny, now you want to get pregnant too?” Shiloh chuckled as she had her own little argument with her wolf. She started to understand why her mate used to zone out so much. If his wolf was like hers, then they would spend a large part of their lives telling their beasts to shut up and calm down. She chuckled.

“What?” Cameron asked.

“I get it now, your problem with your wolf. Mine is so annoying,” she laughed. Cameron joined in, but secretly wondered what she thought of the idea of them having pups. Just as he was about to ask her, she beat him to it. “Do you want us to have a baby?”

“Yes,” came his immediate reply. It was in a wolf’s nature to mate and have his own pups.

“Alright. Right now or is it okay to wait a bit so that I know at least ten percent of our pack before adding some more wolves to it?” she asked jokingly, but deep down meant it. She wanted to give him everything he wanted. She didn’t know if it was just her or her wolf or both of them, but she suddenly wasn’t scared anymore. She knew fear, terror even, and she was done with it. She wanted to be happy, happy with him, and having his baby wasn’t as terrifying as she first imagined it would be.

“Really?” he asked incredulously. He didn’t trust his ears when she told him she was okay with them having pups. And from the sound of it, she wasn’t against them having one very soon. However, he too understood that it was better if they took their time and enjoyed their newly formed relationship as mates.

“Yeah. But I would really like for us to wait a bit. I mean, I still have a lot to learn, and you told me so yourself, I would need to start my Luna training soon and then we would have to travel to a few packs for you to introduce me.”

Cameron nodded, but was happy that she was so open to the idea of them starting a family. He was relieved that she was healthy again and hoped that nothing would disturb their peace and quiet.

Discussing how Cameron would introduce her to his pack, Shiloh asked questions about the Luna Ceremony that was basically her vowing to protect the pack, be a good leader and help the Alpha run things so that every wolf was well taken care of. She wasn’t so nervous about the ceremony in itself as she was nervous of how the pack would receive the news that a recently turned werewolf would be their Alpha female. Cameron reassured her that they would love her and accept her, not just because she was his mate, but because she was kind, caring and protective over those she cared about. Shiloh smiled embarrassedly at his compliments, and tried to change the topic.

“I don’t think I told you where I was born.” Cameron only shook his head, before taking a bite from his breakfast. “Would it surprise you if I’d tell ya I’m a southern country girl?” she asked in a thick southern accent. Cameron’s jaw dropped as he heard her strange accent, causing Shiloh to laugh.

“Where did that come from?” he asked, amused.

“That my native accent, cowboy,” she continued, and Cameron laughed. He couldn’t imagine how a well-educated young woman, with a PhD in engineering and physics, a genius, would ever come from a place in the southern states. Don’t get him wrong, he had the uttermost respect for the simple folk who worked the land and he himself had made some good friends among the southern packs to know that there’s more to them than just country music and memories of a bleak past.

“Where exactly are you from? I have a few friends in the southern states, but I can’t really imagine you anywhere other than a big metropolis with the finest schools this country can offer,” he told her honestly.

“Well, it might surprise you to know, but as I’ve told you before, my family was rather poor. We had the house and farm that my grandparents owned, but other than that we didn’t have much. It didn’t bother me, though. I was happy with what I had and with my family. But even from a young age I knew that my parents struggled because of money issues. My dad’s parents died when he was seventeen. I never really found out how, but I knew they were gone. My mom got pregnant with me right before they graduated high school, and got married before I was born.”

Cameron listened to her but noted that she still hadn’t told him where she was born and raised. Shiloh chuckled and shook her head, slapping her forehead in a gesture that meant ‘how stupid of her’.

“Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It’s a small town, but the folks are nice and helpful. I remember how everyone came to support my grandparents and me when my parents died. And, how they did the same when my grandpa died. But after my grandmother passed, I just couldn’t go back there. Whenever I go, I make sure no one sees me. Gatlinburg is part of me, but I am no longer part of it.”

Cameron listened to her and almost choked when he heard the name of her hometown. Gatlinburg was similar to Wolf’s Hill, with the majority of the population being werewolves. The Alpha of the Gatlinburg Pack, Chris Stevens, was a good friend of Cameron’s. What were the odds?

“Do you know a Chris Stevens by any chance?” Cameron asked, and Shiloh gave him a curious look. Nodding, Cameron explained that he knew him as well.

“How?”

“Well, believe it or not, but Gatlinburg is just like Wolf’s Hill,” he told her with a smile, waiting for her to understand the meaning of his words.

Shiloh’s eyes widened. Gatlinburg was like Wolf’s Hill? Did that mean that the people in Gatlinburg were werewolves, just like in Wolf’s Hill? And how did Cameron know Christopher?

“You know Christopher?” she asked him, and he nodded. “How?”

“I’ve told you that there are annual conventions for pack leaders. Chris and I met years ago when we were both training to become alphas. I even went to Gatlinburg to visit his pack. I was eighteen I think. It was fall already, and when I arrived, everyone was in a mournful state. As far as I understood it, one of the town’s elders had just passed and Chris was upset that he couldn’t convince his childhood friend to stay in town for a few weeks longer.”

Listening to Cameron reiterating the events he witnessed when they were eighteen, Shiloh realized that he was referring to her grandmother’s death and that she was the friend Christopher was talking about. She let Cameron finish telling his story, before she decided to tell him that they almost met four years prior, but due to her own heartache, she left as soon as her grandmother was buried.

“It was me,” she suddenly said, and Cameron looked up confused. “Christopher was talking about me. It was my grandmother’s passing that the town mourned. I remember Topher trying to convince me to stay for a few days, but I was too hurt to stay around. Cameron, we almost met four years ago,” she explained and his jaw dropped.

Cameron couldn’t believe it. They were so close to meeting each other, yet they didn’t. If he would have traveled a couple of days earlier or she would have stayed a couple of days more, Cameron was sure that they would have met then, and he would have found his Luna much sooner. At the thought of his Luna, Cameron also remembered what Chris had said back then.

“The town elders always thought that she was my Luna, because we had known each other since we were babies. They even saw it as a sign that her name was Luna,” Cameron remembered.

“Chris said that his friend’s name was Luna,” he stated matter-of-factly. Shiloh only rolled her eyes.

“My full name is Shiloh Luna Andrews. My parents must have been high when they picked my middle name, though,” she said, and went on to explain how troublesome her middle name was for her while growing up.

The kids at school used to call her Lunatic Shiloh while the old folks refused to call her Shiloh, but instead kept calling her Little Luna. Knowing now that they were werewolves all along, Shiloh started to understand certain things that were said to her one time or another. It all made sense now. That’s why people said that Topher and her were boyfriend-girlfriend; they believed she would grow up to be his Luna. Crazy wolves!

Cameron listened to her recounting childhood memories, and was a bit upset when he found out that one of his best friends stole his mate’s first kiss. Admittedly, they were ten and never saw each other as a couple but more like brother and sister, it still bothered Cameron. Shiloh’s comment that her first and last boyfriend were both werewolves, cracking up at her own joke, didn’t calm him down in the least.

“Stop pouting, babe. It was puppy love. Not even. It was always brotherly love. Even to this day,” she reassured him, while standing up and going to sit on his lap. Cameron immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and inhaling her scent. Smelling himself on her calmed him down, though. She was his.

“You’re mine,” he declared and Shiloh smiled. She tilted his head so that they could lock eyes, and before she captured his lips in a loving kiss, Shiloh assured him that she was his and he was hers, and no one would ever change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The bite cured her. Hooray! Now Shiloh and Cameron can finally be together and plan their lives as Alpha and Luna of the Wolf’s Hill Pack.
> 
> How about Shiloh’s Southern roots? And what are the odds that one of Cameron’s best friends and fellow Alpha happens to be Shiloh’s childhood best friend, a person who was like a brother to her?
> 
> What did you think?


	19. Chapter 19

After Cameron and Shiloh finished their breakfast, they both went to take a shower. He was glad that Dylan had brought him some clothes yesterday morning, so that he had a change. He really needed to go shopping since he couldn’t go back to his house. Thinking of that, he was wondering how he would fix it, but also wanted to ask Shiloh…

“Ask me what?” came her voice.

They were once again in the shower, but unlike the night before, they decided to just start their day and go to the pack doctor to get Shiloh some effective birth control.

“Did I open my mind to you?” Cameron asked amused, and Shiloh just shrugged. She still had a lot to learn about the mind link, but she didn’t mind taking her time.

“I was wondering if you would like to move in with me? Mated wolves usually live in the same house,” he told her honestly.

“Sure. Do you wanna live here or your house,” she replied, not really caring. It wasn’t as if she had to live in her house to be close to work, given that she didn’t even have to be in the factory in order for it to produce her products.

“I guess, for now we could live here, but once my house is ready, we should move in there. As the Alpha couple, we need to be close to the pack,” he explained and Shiloh nodded, before frowning.

“Cam, the house is done. I fixed it,” she told him. He gave her a skeptical look. “I mean it, babe. I’ve told you it would be ready by the time you go to bed. Not my fault you slept in my bed that night,” she added smirking. Shaking his head, Cameron kissed her cheek and asked her how she fixed it. Shiloh, however, told him it was her secret, but they could check it out after finishing the meeting with the pack doctor.

Obviously, Cameron was curious to find out how his house looked like or if she really fixed it the way she said she did, but considering all the wonders she showed him, he had little doubt left that she would deliver what she had promised.

Driving into town was relaxing, but Shiloh still felt a little nervous considering that she hadn’t seen a real doctor since she was diagnosed with the deadly tumors in her head. She truly hoped that this doctor wouldn’t give her any devastating news, but only joyful ones. One of those would be her being pregnant.

Ever since Cameron mentioned it, Shiloh couldn’t help thinking of them having kids. It still scared her a little, but mainly because she didn’t know what to expect. However, she doubted that any soon-to-be mother knew what to expect. She wished she would have her own mother or at least her grandmother with her to guide her, but in the end, she wanted a happy life with Cameron and she wanted to give him what he wanted, and that was a family of his own. If she would have been still a human, she was sure she would have had her doubts about how involved he would be once the baby would arrive, but as a wolf, she saw the world differently, understood things the way humans couldn’t. But most importantly, she trusted Cameron. He would always be by her side. And she had a suspicion that his family would be delighted to have the next generation of alpha pups to care for. That was one aspect that became rare to completely non-existent in the human world. While people still used the saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, humans didn’t live up to it. Werewolves were different. She knew that from both her research and the way his own family was welcoming her.

“It is an honor to meet you, Luna,” the doctor said as Cameron and Shiloh entered his office. In the car, Cameron asked her to not let the pack call her Shiloh. It was important that everyone understood that she was above them, that she was their leader. Obviously, family and friends were allowed to call them by their given names, but even they were required to call them Alpha and Luna around other pack members.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Shiloh said, friendly.

Dr. Gordon was a forty-something man, tall, but not as tall as Cameron, perhaps 5’9’’, kind brown eyes and dark brown hair. You could tell the man was rather indoorsy due to his profession, but his physique betrayed his supernatural background.

“Alpha Cameron told me that you needed my help with something,” the doctor said with a smile. Shiloh fought the urge to roll her eyes. Looking at her mate, Shiloh quirked an eyebrow, silently challenging Cameron.

“Yeah. You see, my mate is concerned that with all the shagging that will happen between us, he’ll knock some pups into me. Being the thoughtful guy that he is, he figured we should come see you so you can fix him up before he knocks me up,” Shiloh said nonchalantly, while looking only at the doctor.

“Damn, girl! You’ve got fire! I like you more and more,” her wolf told her, excitedly.

“Calm down, girl. We are the same person,” Shiloh replied with a chuckle.

“Uh, sure, Luna, I mean,” the doctor stuttered a little, looking from Shiloh to his Alpha. Cameron seemed just as shocked by her words as the doctor, but quickly composed himself, and decided to tease her.

“Oh, babe. You know I just wanted you to myself for a little bit before you start popping out litter after litter of little alpha pups,” he said with a wide grin.

The poor doctor didn’t really know how to react if at all to his leaders’ playful bickering. Watching them, though, Dr. Gordon was glad that his Alpha had finally found his mate and by the way the two interacted, it was clear that their bond was strong, albeit a bit weird for his taste.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Shiloh said laughing. “You probably think we are some nutjobs.”

“It’s alright, Luna. I’m glad our Alpha has finally found you. To be honest, I’ve never seen him so happy, if I may say so myself,” the doctor commented, and looked at his Alpha, who just smiled.

“But seriously now. Cameron explained that the human birth control that I used to take was useless against and I quote ‘his werewolf sperm’,” Shiloh explained grinning.

The doctor tried to ignore the obvious attempt of his Luna to rile the Alpha up, and proceeded to explain that human meds were weaker when it came to treating werewolves. He then asked if she was okay with him examining her or if she preferred a female doctor. Telling him that she was comfortable enough, he then showed her into the exam room where he left her alone so that she changed out of her white sundress and into a generic hospital paper gown.

In the meantime, Cameron stepped out and contacted his Beta and a few other people, asking them to meet him and his mate at his parents’ house. Shiloh and he had already decided to give the good news to a few close friends and family, but Cameron wanted to make it a bit more special, so he asked his mom if she could put together a family dinner. Evelyn was over the moon when she heard that her son had finally mated Shiloh, but was unable to learn if the bite cured her cancer.

While Cameron still contacted a few other pack members to make sure everything was running smoothly, Shiloh was examined by the doctor who seemed a lot more relaxed in just her presence. Shiloh figured it was because while she was technically his leader as well, Cameron was a lot more intimidating.

Dr. Gordon explained that everything looked fine and prescribed her a contraceptive shot that she could get from the hospital’s pharmacy and administer herself every month on the same day as the month before. It was much easier to keep track of than the pill.

Once Shiloh changed back into her clothes, she asked the doctor a few things about werewolf gestation. She was curious to find out more, since she didn’t really find much about it in her research.

“A she-wolf becomes pregnant much easier than a human female. The gestation period is also a lot shorter, due to the fact that the pups grow faster. A werewolf female can carry one, two, three but no more than four pups at a time. They are all born in their human form, and while they know about their werewolf nature and feel certain things differently than human children, werewolf pups shift at the age of sixteen or twelve, when they come from an alpha.”

Shiloh nodded and mentally took notes, while asking questions here and there when she didn’t understand something. Wanting to know how long it would take for her to get pregnant once she gave up on birth control, the doctor assured her that it would be shortly after. If for instance she would get the shot on the 1st and the following month she would skip it, by the 5th or 7thday she would be ready to conceive.

After the doctor offered Shiloh a few brochures and wrote down a few books she could read in the public library, Shiloh thanked him profusely for his help and patience and promised to come visit the hospital to just see what they could need. Unbeknownst to the doctor, Shiloh already made a list in her head of items she would definitely acquire for the hospital or even build herself.

Finding Cameron outside the doctor’s office, Shiloh grabbed his hand and dragged him to the hospital’s pharmacy. Finding the shot the doctor told her about, she bought one dose, keeping her options open for a possible pregnancy. A part of her felt that she was rushing, but another was very eager to become pregnant as soon as possible. She had a suspicion that it was her wolf who urged her to skip the birth control and just start fucking her mate’s brains out, but Shiloh knew better. They had a busy time ahead and she wanted to do a good job as a Luna first before she became a mother.

“Where are we going?” Shiloh asked, as she noticed Cameron driving past his parents’ house.

“You said you fixed my house, well our house,” he corrected himself, making Shiloh smile. Their house. It sounded good. It sounded right. Shiloh couldn’t wait for them to be always together. When did she become so dependent? Perhaps she was rushing things and needed to take a step back.

“No!” her wolf growled.

“Calm down, I’m still adjusting,” Shiloh reprimanded her.

Reaching the still covered up house, Shiloh stepped out of the car and smiled. Maybe they should make a bet. She already knew that she would win, but she loved the competition nevertheless.

“Forget it. After all I’ve seen you do, you think I’ll bet against you?” Cameron asked her, grinning. Shiloh laughed at him.

Using her watch, that was actually a multi-purpose gadget, Shiloh deactivated the canvas that was sucked inside the house. Watching stunned at what was happening right in front of his eyes, Cameron wondered what the hell of a device she used to fix his house. It looked even better than it did before she crashed into it.

“You gonna give me a tour of my new house or what?” Shiloh challenged and Cameron growled with satisfaction. He loved to hear her so enthusiastic about them sharing their lives together. He feared that due to her human upbringing she would be more reluctant to move at his desired pace, but as she confessed so herself, she didn’t want to waste time now that she was given a second chance. Even with the tumor out of the picture, there could always be something that could tear them apart. They needed to take advantage of the time they had together.

Smiling devilishly, Cameron took two large steps towards her, picked her up and carried her bridal style up the two wooden stairs of the front porch towards the front door. It was still wide open from when the canvas revealed the fully repaired building.

“What you doing?” Shiloh asked, giggling.

“What does it look like? I’m carrying my mate over the threshold of our house,” he told her proudly.

“Isn’t that a wedding tradition or something?” she asked, not meaning anything by it, but as she uttered the words, Cameron’s mind wandered to a day when they could get married. It wasn’t a must do with werewolves, although many couples decided to have a human-like marriage.

“I’ll carry you again on our wedding day,” Cameron told her confidently, and her heart skipped a beat. If Cameron wouldn’t have listened for it, he wouldn’t have known it happened. Shiloh turned her head towards her mate, who had a broad smile on his face, and she blushed.

“You want to get married?” she asked, almost shyly.

“When we’re ready, but yeah. I want everything with you. Wedding, marriage, pups – everything.”

Shiloh felt tears well up in her eyes and fought really hard to keep them at bay, but when Cameron captured her lips in a gentle, yet promise-filled kiss, she lost that battle.

“Don’t cry, honey,” he whispered in her ear, making her shiver.

“I’m just dreading the endless shopping trips with your sister,” she joked, and Cameron let out a sigh of relief. Leave it to his mate to joke in a moment like that. On the other hand, she wouldn’t be Shiloh if she wouldn’t find humor in a situation.

Walking into his house, Cameron kissed his mate one last time before setting her down, and showing her around. His house was rather simple, not overly luxurious, but he told her that she could decorate it any way she liked. Shiloh just smiled at him, and asked for a glass of water.

Entering the kitchen, Cameron made a mental note to go shopping, but first he wanted to know when his mate wanted to move in. Whatever she would decide, he would stay with her no matter where they would live. There was no chance in hell he would spend another night without his mate in his arms.

“When would you like to move in?” Cameron asked, as he handed her the glass of water.

“Whenever you want. I would only have to pack clothes and some personal items, but other than that I don’t need much,” she told him honestly before taking a sip.

Cameron nodded and thought about it. If they organized the Luna Ceremony for the upcoming Friday, Cameron could live with her at her house, enjoying some alone time with her. Once she would be officially introduced as his mate and Luna, they both would be required to take on their alpha duties.

Deciding to postpone their conversation for when they returned to her house, Cameron took her upstairs to show her the rest of the house. Their first stop was the master bedroom with the en-suite bathroom and the large, walk-in closet.

“I saw in a movie once that the owner of a beach house installed a sex swing in their closet,” Shiloh told him, and Cameron wasn’t sure if she meant that as a suggestion, a random fact or if she just wanted to rile him up. Deciding it was the latter, Cameron commented that he would rather have the swing in the middle of the bedroom, along with a dance pole.

“Please!” she huffed. “As if you could handle my killer stripper moves,” she said, and Cameron’s eyes almost popped out.

“Don’t tell me you,” he started saying, but stopped when Shiloh nodded with a mischievous grin on her face.

“I took some dance classes from a stripper. It’s not what you may think,” she quickly added. “It wasn’t for some guy to spice up our sex life. I wanted to learn how to do that for myself. Other than being it something not many people would do, it’s also an excellent workout. Plus, come on. How many girls do you know who can do a professional striptease dance?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Cameron didn’t know what to answer. It felt like a trap. It must be a trap, he concluded. Shiloh guessing his dilemma, decided to ease his mind. She didn’t care if her mate used to go to strip clubs, as long as he would always be honest with her.

“You are one of a kind, you know that?” he asked her, relief clear in his voice.

“I had a hunch.”

Kissing for a while, Cameron almost forgot about the dinner plans they made with his parents. When Evelyn contacted him, asking if they would arrive soon, Cameron pulled back to look down at his beautiful mate, admiring her natural grace and charm.

“You’re so beautiful, love,” he told her honestly. Shiloh blushed and buried her face in his chest, causing him to chuckle. “Come on, before my parents send out a search party.”

Leaving his house, Cameron locked the door behind him and rushed towards Shiloh’s car to open the door for her. Smiling at his gentlemanly behavior, Shiloh stood on her tip-toes and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. Beaming, Cameron hurried to the other side of the car and got in. Within minutes, they arrived at Alexander’s house, where Danielle was already waiting for the newly mated couple. Cameron rolled his eyes, and Shiloh prayed to walk out of the house alive.

“Hey, Shiloh!” Danielle greeted, and Shiloh smiled politely.

“Hello, Danielle. How have you been?” Shiloh asked.

“Good, thank you for asking,” Danielle replied, smiling. “Why can’t you never ask me that?” she frowned at her older brother.

“Because I never get the chance to ask before you give me a full report on what happened in your life since we last saw each other,” came Cameron’s bored voice.

“Be nice,” Shiloh mind linked him. He gave her a fake annoyed look, before kissing her forehead and grabbing her hand in his.

“You’re supposed to be on my side,” he sent back, causing Shiloh to smile.

“I am on your side. I’ll always be on your side.”

“You guys look so cute together,” gushed Danielle. “So, did my brother rock your world?”

“Dani!” Cameron growled.

“He did. Just now. In the car,” Shiloh added with a devilish grin.

Danielle gulped audibly, her eyes wide in shock, her mouth agape. Cameron fought his grin back. By now, he was used to his mate’s wit and humor. He loved her so much.

Entering his parents’ house, Cameron was glad that everyone he invited was there, and ushered his mate to step into the living room. Deciding to quickly move onto introductions, Cameron introduced Dylan’s mate, Teresa, as well as his two cousins, Liam and Donovan and their mates, Julia and Marie, respectively.

“For those of you who don’t know her yet, this is Shiloh, my mate,” Cameron told them beaming.

“Oh, my God!” both Julia and Marie shouted when he announced his Luna. The two girls, along with Teresa came to greet their new Luna, introducing themselves more properly, asking Shiloh a billion questions at once without waiting for the newest werewolf to actually answer any of them.

“Enough!” Cameron bellowed. The three she-wolves backed away, and practically hid behind their mates.

“That was uncalled for,” Evelyn admonished, but had a kind smile on her face when she came to embrace her daughter-in-law.

Taking a deep breath, Evelyn was pleased to smell her son on his mate. What was more interesting to Evelyn was if the bite had cured the girl’s cancer. Sending the girls into the kitchen to bring the food into the dining room, while her two nephews were send to help by their father, Evelyn turned her attention to Shiloh again.

“Please, honey, did you find out if the bite did anything?” Evelyn asked, anxiously.

Shiloh decided to show them her brain scan, like she did earlier that day with Cameron. The other wolves watched in awe at what went on in her brain during the whole transformation from human into werewolf.

“So, it worked?” Alexander wanted confirmation.

“Yes, dad. Shiloh is cured,” Cameron answered, a new wave of relief flooding him.

“I’m so happy,” Evelyn told them, while embracing Shiloh tightly. Shiloh hadn’t felt a motherly embrace since her own mother had passed. As much as her grandmother tried to replace Shiloh’s mom, she never could.

“Me too,” came Shiloh’s honest reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I huge thank you to everyone who reads this story, no matter how many or how few you are. It brings a huge smile to my face to know that a select few give this story a shot.


	20. Chapter 20

Dinner at Cameron’s parents was a success. Shiloh was grateful that his family accepted her and were so eager to teach her all there was to know about their kind. Evelyn promised Shiloh to teach her everything she needed to know to be a good Luna, while Alexander offered her his personal library to read up on anything she wanted to know. Shiloh thanked them both profusely.

Cameron left his Beta and Gamma in charge of the pack, while he and Shiloh enjoyed a few more days together, alone from prying eyes and curious pack members. Alexander offered to help, but between Dylan and Noah everything was fine. Cameron had even mind linked his entire pack, telling them that Friday evening they were all required to attend a pack meeting in the large stadium. The stadium was actually used as training grounds for the pack warriors, but when the whole pack needed to be present for some formal announcement, the stadium was the only place that could fit the almost five thousand members.

Shiloh was sitting on the couch, reading yet another one of Alexander’s books, while Cameron was in the other room talking on the phone with one of his business partners. He had told Shiloh more about his security business, and his mate even offered to help him out with all kinds of gadgets or even financial advice.

Cameron was impressed with the way she handled her own finances and agreed to let her take a look. In all honesty, why wouldn’t he trust her? She was his mate and he planned on spending his whole life with her, giving her everything she wanted. Not to mention that she had shared so much of her own business with him.

After he turned her into a werewolf, he fully expected that she would annul his security clearance into her facility, but instead she didn’t. When he asked why she gave him the opportunity to come and go as he pleased, she just stared at him in disbelief.

“You are my mate. And you saved my life. We’ll spend our whole lives together. I trust you completely and I know that you won’t go around telling people what happens behind closed doors,” she told him, confidently.

Shiloh was devouring every piece of information she could get her hands on. The more she learnt, the more questions she had. Alexander had assured her that if she had questions, she only had to ask him and he would try to explain the things she didn’t understand to the best of his abilities.

Going through the books Alexander had on folklore and werewolf history was easy. Things started to become a bit more complicated when Shiloh started reading about Werewolf Laws. Alexander had a copy of the Lycanthrope Law Codex that was passed down for generations. Every decade, a large werewolf council would meet and discuss outdated laws and decided on either removing, changing or replacing them. However, the basic core of the codex remained intact for centuries because it simply worked.

Having had enough studying for one day, Shiloh went to find her mate who had just finished his long and tedious phone call. Glad to see his mate, Cameron opened his arms for Shiloh who ran into them happily.

“I gotta show you something,” she said, but didn’t look at him. Cameron wondered what else there was she hadn’t shown him yet, but didn’t dare to ask. If it took her this long to share it with him, it meant she was either ashamed, afraid or just wasn’t convinced he was ready to see it yet. Whatever her reasoning, he knew they could handle it together.

Taking the elevator into The Void, Cameron wondered what could be hidden in her underground bunker. He faintly remembered that she told him there was still a secret she had yet to share with him, but he wasn’t quite sure what it was and why it took her so long to mention it.

Walking towards a large door, Cameron watched as Shiloh stepped in front of a biometric scanner. Getting her retina and DNA scanned, Sarah asked for vocal confirmation and Shiloh just said her name out loud.

Wondering if Cameron might take her secret well, Shiloh could only sigh and hope for the best. A part of her wanted to tell him right away, but another, feared he might be scared or even hate her. Her wolf, as usual, reprimanded her, telling her that their mate would never hate them, but agreed that it would have been better to show him her last big secret.

Over the past week, Cameron and Shiloh got a lot closer. They opened up and shared memories with the other, talked about their fears and hopes, and planned a beautiful future together. During one night of making passionate love, Shiloh marked Cameron in the heat of the moment, and was freaking out a little when she realized what she had done. Cameron only chuckled and reassured her, that while it was customary for male wolves to mark their females, it wasn’t unheard of for both mates to mark each other. If anything, it strengthened their bond.

Surprisingly, it strengthened it so much that Cameron was able to mind link Shiloh while she was down in The Void, working on some gadget. He was upstairs making them dinner, while she wanted to finish a design. Out of habit, Cameron mind linked her and they were both stunned when she actually heard him.

More importantly, they discovered that they were able to send memories back and forth, allowing the one who received a memory to not only see through the other’s eyes, but also feel what the other felt when it happened. Shiloh was reluctant at first, and it was only after she had a nightmare and her mind connected to Cameron’s that he truly understood where her strength to handle physical pain came from. Unwillingly, Shiloh opened her mind and allowed Cameron to see her training but more importantly the three times she was captured and tortured. It was heartbreaking for Cameron to see her memories and he felt completely useless as he felt her pain. A memory could only do so much and he knew that the pain he felt through her memories was only a fraction of what she had actually endured when it happened, but seeing her persevere and come out of each situation victorious gave him a new sense of pride and respect towards his mate. She endured tremendous pain, both physical and emotional, but instead of letting that ruin her, she took it, learnt from it, and allowed it to make her stronger. Shiloh was a fighter, and he and his pack were lucky to have been blessed with such a Luna.

Shiloh took a deep breath as she opened the large door. She asked Cameron to check the time on his watch, and leave it on the floor next to the opposite wall. Cameron didn’t quite understand her request, but did as he was told. Following Shiloh into the yet unexplored room, Cameron felt a strange energy inside it.

Closing the door behind them, Shiloh waited a moment for Cameron to take in the sight before him. She was sure he wouldn’t quite understand what he saw or if it was even real, but inside that chamber was her mortal sin hidden. Hidden, yet not forgotten by her. For as beautiful as it was, it was just as dangerous.

Cameron looked at the fireball behind the glass wall. The entire room was pitch black, giving it a creepy vibe, as if a demon was lurking in the dark, only illuminated by the strange ball of light. Cameron’s wolf felt uneasy and all they both wanted was to leave that place immediately. Cameron didn’t detect any scent or anything that would explain what he was seeing. Actually, the only thing that seemed to work was his brain that told him, he had seen something like this before, only it looked differently.

“What is it?” Cameron finally asked.

“My sun,” Shiloh stated. Cameron looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. If the thing before him would have been a creature, he would have assumed she would have meant to say the word ‘son’ as in offspring. But given the very shape, color and overall appearance, Cameron had to assume that she meant to pronounce the word with an ‘u’ in the middle, as in a celestial object, like the freaking sun in the sky.

“Come again,” he urged. Shiloh sighed audibly and debated how to best explain what he saw.

“Do you remember what I said about mortal sins?” she asked and Cameron nodded, dreading her next words. “This is my mortal sin. I will skip the how I did it part and definitely the why. While I could talk for hours about how I did it, I know you don’t care about that. As for the why, well, I’m still struggling with finding a reasonable enough explanation. I guess, I did it because I could; because I was curious to see if I could do it, maybe.”

Cameron listened to her. After all the things she said about not tempering with nature, there she goes tempering with it. She was right. He didn’t care how she did it, knowing that he would never be able to understand the procedure or the math behind it. He cared about the why, but she beat him to that. He believed that she wasn’t so sure either. So, he went with the next best question.

“Is it dangerous?” he asked, never taking his eyes off her.

“Yes, very dangerous, actually,” came her honest, yet very unsettling reply.

“How dangerous?” he asked, but meant, ‘will it affect the building, the pack, the state, the country?’

“Nigel’s zombie virus could have wiped out humankind, possibly even other species as well,” she stated, and Cameron nodded. They never spoke of it again, after she revealed that part of her life for the first time, he wasn’t sure if it would do her any good to constantly be reminded of that dreadful time, either. “Well, my mortal sin would wipe out the whole planet. It could either grow and then explode with the force of a supernova or it could implode, and create a black hole, that would swallow the entire planet. Either way, it’s pretty much the end of Planet Earth.”

A part of him was too shocked to process; another was angry that she would gamble with the lives of every living thing on this planet; yet another part felt like a scared little pup facing a modern day Dr. Frankenstein. Cameron didn’t know if he should reassure her that nothing bad would happen, despite him having no clue whatsoever, or maybe yell at her for being stupid. He just didn’t know.

“I have tried to reverse the process, in hopes I could safely deactivate it’s deadly potential, but I was unsuccessful. To be honest, I’m not quite sure how I created it in the first place. I mean, I understand the math and physics and all, but technically, this shouldn’t have happened. I don’t know how it happened, I swear. I mean, one minute it was just an equation on my board, and the next it’s an actual mini sun hovering in vacuum.”

If Shiloh didn’t understand what she did, how could Cameron hope to understand it. He shook his head, wanting to know if that fireball of hers meant any immediate danger.

“No,” Shiloh shook her head vehemently. “Stella, I called it that,” she said with a small smile, “is in a stable state. The whole floor was designed to contain the radiation and the walls contain harvester cells. All the energy this little sun, because as you can see it is the size of a dodge ball and will stay that way until it reaches critical mass, in about three to five billion years, is harvested into batteries. These batteries have a life of about a hundred or two hundred years and are capable to cover the energy demand for a factory like mine or a large building. The bigger the battery the more energy it can store.”

Cameron listened to her explanation and hoped that she was right and that little sun of hers wouldn’t wipe out life. He was more intrigued by how she harvested Stella’s energy and what she did with the batteries.

Shiloh was relieved when he seemed to relax over the fact that she basically had created the next apocalypse and stored it in her basement. Explaining that for now she had only stored most of the batteries, Shiloh had big plans for them. She explained that the energy her house and factory used up came from her Stella batteries, as she called them. She told him that she wanted to move the whole town off the grid, and provide energy with the batteries. She also told him of her idea to build electric cars that would never need a refuel, but also about other gadgets she was currently working on.

Cameron understood about half of what Shiloh was talking about, but that was something he quickly got used to. He was happy to see her excited about things, and didn’t mind that he didn’t understand all that science mumbo jumbo. Shiloh was well aware that she tended to go overboard with her explanations, but Cameron never minded it.

“Sometimes I come down here to relax and end up spending hours just reading and relaxing,” she told him after a while when none of them said anything, but just stared at the artificially created celestial ball.

“I guess, this is the first time you came down here since we mated,” he told her, kissing her temple, as he held her in his arms.

“Actually, no. While you had to meet up with Dylan upstairs in the living room, I came down here to read. I actually spent six hours in the Solar Chamber,” she confessed, and Cameron pushed her a little to the side to look down into her eyes.

“You’re kidding.”

“No. See, this chamber has an interesting side effect,” she told him with a smirk. “An hour inside the chamber is actually only a minute on the outside. Time stretches out in here, giving you more minutes in a day,” she explained. “That’s why I told you to check your watch, remember the time, and leave the watch outside.”

Cameron tried to understand what she was saying, but was still skeptical. On the other hand, when it came to his beautiful, genius mate, he had learnt to just go with it, even if he didn’t understand it.

Leaving the Solar Chamber, Cameron went to pick up his watch, and realized that it was only a minute later than the moment he set the watch down. Turning to Shiloh with wide eyes, the she-wolf only smirked triumphantly. Rolling his eyes, he held out his hand for her to take. He should have known to trust her right away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Shiloh revealed her biggest secret. What will she do to improve life in Wolf’s Hill? How will the pack react to such a sci-fi Luna?


	21. Chapter 21

The day of the Luna Ceremony came and Evelyn arrived early in the morning at Shiloh's house. So early, that she woke the newly mated couple from a peaceful slumber.

"Who the fuck is ringing on your door so early in the morning?" Cameron growled.

"I don't know. I should get some bloodhounds to guard it and not let anyone come even near the doorbell," Shiloh muttered into his chest.

Cameron's arms tightened around the naked form of his mate, savoring her warmth. He would definitely miss the time just with her, because while he was annoyed with whoever was at the door, he knew that once they moved into his house, this would be a daily occurrence. Unless, Shiloh figured out a way to knock out anyone who dared waking them. Cameron was sure she would be able to invent some gadget to scare the living daylights out of nosy pack members.

Deciding to go check who the unwanted house guest was, Cameron put on some boxers and went to the front door, only to be greeted by the sight of his mother and grandmother.

"Mom? Granny?" he asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Put some pants on, Cameron. That's no proper way to greet your mother and grandmother," the older woman admonished.

"Uh, yeah, sorry, Granny," his words came out rushed. Evelyn held in a laugh, and allowed her mother-in-law to enter the futuristic house.

She and Alexander had been inside Shiloh's house before, but it amazed her each time she saw it. While Cameron offered the two women a cup of coffee, he mind linked his mate, telling her that his mother and grandmother were here to see her. Both, being former Lunas, decided to help the future Luna of the Wolf's Hill Pack to prepare for the Luna Ceremony that evening.

Shiloh hurried to put some clothes on and went to wash her face and brush her teeth. She didn't want to let the two Johnson women wait for too long. Alice Johnson was Alexander's mother but everyone in her family just called her Granny these days. She was far from the granny type. In fact, you could hardly tell that she was the grandmother of a twenty-two-year-old. She looked older than Evelyn, obviously, but still not enough to label her a grandmother of grown-up pups. It would have been a feat if anyone would have guessed her real age since she didn't look a day over fifty, some days even younger.

Evelyn had explained that their youthful appearance was due to their werewolf nature. They even lived longer, especially alphas and their mates.

Hurrying into the living room and bringing Cameron some PJ pants and a tank top, Shiloh greeted the two older women and sat down on one of the chairs.

"We're here to walk you through the Luna Ceremony," Granny explained. Shiloh nodded.

Alice Johnson was grateful to the Moon Goddess when she mated her eldest grandson to Shiloh. Despite Shiloh being of human ancestry, the girl was remarkable in almost everything she touched. Everyone in the Johnson family was afraid that their matriarch wouldn't approve of the odd girl, but, like so many times before, Shiloh conquered the old lady in no time. In fact, Alice was very impressed with the amount of things the girl already learnt on her own and how smart she was about solving pack problems.

It was an understanding between Evelyn and Alice to present pack problems and Shiloh was required to solve them. Little did Shiloh know, that those problems weren't made up, but actually came up during the leadership periods of the two former Lunas. Some problems were meant to be solved just by the Luna, others by the Alpha couple. Cameron wasn't actually required to participate during the lessons, choosing to actually run the pack while the women played make-believe, but was impressed with how quickly and efficiently his mate solved everything his mom and grandma put in front of her.

Both Alice and Evelyn were sure that Shiloh would be a great Luna, but offered her guidance and support whenever she may need it. The girl thanked them profusely, and hoped she would do a good job.

While Shiloh was talking to his mom and grandmother, Cameron finished packing their things, since starting that night they would live in his house. No, it was their house now. However, whenever they needed some time just to themselves they could either escape to the house in the woods or take a short vacation. Yeah, that sounded good. The Alpha in him, however, told him to get a grip. He was blessed with a week of being just with his mate. He had to remember that he was an Alpha and that he had responsibilities. His Beta and dad were very understanding and helpful, but the pack needed its Alpha and after the Luna Ceremony, they would finally have a Luna as well.

"Babe, don't forget your laptop," Shiloh mind linked him.

Cameron smiled. Who would have guessed that after living together for a week, they would already start acting like an old married couple? Not that he was complaining. He loved every second of it. He knew that they had strong personalities, and there were times when they didn't agree on things, but they usually worked it out. The real relationship test would come after she was officially introduced as Luna and the real problems started pouring in. Cameron was confident, though. Shiloh was strong, stronger than many born-wolves. Her strength, he realized, didn't come from her wolf, as some might suspect, but from her human side. Shiloh was human her whole life. She had to live and fight and survive as a human and thanks to their bond he knew more about her than he ever thought he'd know about his mate. It hurt him deeply to know that his mate was so hurt in the past and his wolf alternated from whimpering to snarling. If Cameron would ever stand in front of those who harmed his mate, he would rip their throats out.

"Already packed," he sent her back.

"And the charger," she reminded him.

Cameron picked up his charger, and put it in his suitcase. He looked around to see if he hadn't forgotten something. Worst case scenario, he would make a trip back out into the woods. It wasn't like they would move to the other side of the world. They didn't even move to the other side of town. But his woman needed to be in control and know that everything was done to the letter.

"Got it."

"What about," she started asking, but he interrupted her.

"Kitten, we've got all and even if we forgot something, we can always drive here. It takes us like ten minutes. Will you relax?" he asked, chuckling. He felt the tension leave her body and he let out a breath.

"Sorry. I'm just so nervous," she admitted. He understood her, but he knew that his pack would be thrilled to find out that not only did he find his mate, but that it was Shiloh. Even those who hadn't met her in person yet were already fascinated by her.

"You don't have to be. You are my mate and the pack will be happy to have you as their Luna. Relax," he tried to reassure her.

"Will you be there?" she asked, and Cameron could hear her insecurities.

"Kitten, did you ever doubt that?"

"No. Cam?"

"Yeah?"

"I need a hug and a kiss," she whined and Cameron laughed.

"I'm on my way, needy kitten of mine."

Entering the living room, Cameron found his mother and grandmother explaining what the next few days would hold for Shiloh. His mate listened intently and he knew that she took mental notes. Shiloh was like a sponge that absorbed every single piece of information it reached. There was hardly something she didn't know, and what she didn't, she found out in no time.

Sitting down next to her, Cameron hugged her and kissed her temple. His mother smiled lovingly at them, while his grandma scowled.

"You called him to cuddle you," she accused, and Shiloh shrugged.

"He's my mate. What else is he good for if not cuddling me when I'm stressed out?" Shiloh joked. Cameron knew she wasn't serious. Beneath the witty comments and sometimes completely inappropriate jokes, Shiloh longed to be close to him and not just because of their bond.

Cameron knew that for a long time, Shiloh was deprived of affection and attention and she wanted to make up for it. Even when she complained that he would smother her or that his family was just too 'friendly', especially his baby sister, Cameron knew that Shiloh loved them all already. He saw her big heart long before she even allowed herself to have feelings for him.

"Agreed, mates are just for cuddling," his grandma said with a wicked smile, "but you won't talk your way out of going with us to the mall to get yourself a new dress."

Cameron found that Shiloh and his grandma had a lot in common: the quick wit, the aggressiveness when they made up their minds about something, the way they thought things through and looked at them from angles normal people wouldn't even suspect were there. Cameron knew that all the women in his life were strong, independent and very smart. They were the kind of women who would be capable of running a pack all by themselves without once needing their male counterpart to balance them out.

"That's not true," Shiloh mind linked him, after she agreed to go with the two Johnson women to the mall. She hated shopping, but this was a special occasion.

Cameron gave his mate a curious look and rolled his eyes when he realized he left his mind open for her to peek inside.

"You weren't supposed to hear that," he whined.

"Not my fault your thoughts are so loud," she sent to him, and got up to go change clothes to go with Alice and Evelyn into town. Cameron followed her, not wanting to start another conversation regarding the ceremony.

"They weren't loud," he argued, this time using his voice.

"A little bit. You say that I stress over things, but you are just like me. And I don't agree with what you think, by the way. I might be all those things you mentioned, but ever since you came into my life I am different, and not just because you turned me," she explained, when she saw him opening his mouth to point out that she was a werewolf now. She knew him well enough by now to know when he would get sassy.

"Yeah?" he challenged, with a smirk.

"I'm not so work driven anymore and don't exhaust myself. I take better care of myself, both physically and emotionally. Babe, Christopher was my best friend when I was a little girl and other kids used to pick on me. Nigel was my best friend when I grew older and people still picked on me. But guess what? They were nothing compared to you. You are my best friend now not because you can beat the shit out of those who would pick on me, but because you believe I can beat the shit out of them myself. You know my heart not because I told you about my past, but because you had the patience to see me for who I really am. You didn't pity me when I was sick. You didn't think less of me when you learnt of my secrets. You didn't belittle or look down on me for being just human and clueless to certain things. You fought for me, opened yourself up to me, made yourself vulnerable for me, and when I did the same, you kept me safe and sound. Cameron, I never felt so loved my entire life, and I never even knew what love was until I met you. I love you."

Cameron listened to her, his heart was pounding hard against his chest, threatening to burst through bone and flesh if he didn't say those three little words back. She needed to hear them, because they were the only thing that mattered between them.

"I love you, too, Shiloh. I love you so much. At first, it was the love that came naturally through our mate bond, but every time I learn something new about you, I realize, I would have fallen madly in love with you even if I was human," he confessed. He meant every word. "The only thing that separates us from humans is that we know for certain who the love of our live is the moment our eyes lock. But I know that just because that occurs, doesn't mean we automatically love each other. It just helps us be ourselves from the beginning, and that's why we move faster than them."

The two mates stared into each other's eyes for a long while, before Alice cleared her throat and they looked towards the door. Both Alice and Evelyn were standing there, both smiling lovingly at the young wolves, as they declared their love for the first time.

"Will you two kiss already so that we can get going?" Alice asked, but was secretly very happy these two stubborn pups finally confessed their feelings.

"Way to ruin a moment, Granny," Shiloh teased.

"Somebody had to. You young people move fast when you should move slow, and too slow when you should pick up the pace. So, slow down with the wedding vows, and pick up the pace and kiss her already so that I can take your mate to get a decent Luna dress," Alice commanded, and the two younger wolves laughed.

Evelyn guided her mother-in-law back into the living room, while Cameron followed his grandmother's order, and captured Shiloh's lips in a scorching kiss. It took all they had in them to separate before the older Johnson female came back to give them a time-out.

"I better get going, before she comes back. Granny can be scary sometimes, did you know that?" Shiloh whispered conspiratorially.

Cameron nodded and kissed her one more time. He told her he would get their stuff back to the house in town, and unfortunately, they wouldn't see each other until the Luna Ceremony.

"I love you," he told her one last time before he had to let her go.

"I love you, too, my big bad Alpha," she said grinning.

They parted with a kiss and Shiloh went into her closet, put on some jeans and a tee shirt, before running out into the living room where Alice and Evelyn already discussed a barbecue for the pack.

Getting into Evelyn's car, Shiloh sat next to her future mother-in-law, discussing their shopping strategy. Unlike Danielle, who loved to walk around for hours, Evelyn was happy to just get what they needed. After all, they needed to hurry and get back to Evelyn's house where they would prepare Shiloh for the ceremony. Only a select few knew about the real reason of the pack meeting, although, everyone would figure it out the moment they stepped inside the stadium.

Grateful that Alice and Evelyn took her straight to their favorite store, Shiloh allowed the two older women to pick out a couple of outfits for her to try on. She mentally made a note to stop by the lingerie store for some new panties and bras, as well as a baby doll night gown and a French maid dress. Shiloh fully intended to seduce her mate in their new house, once things settled down a little. She even prepared the dance poll she would place into their bedroom, wanting to blow his mind with an erotic dance that would keep him begging for more.

Smiling at her plan, Shiloh entered the changing booth with a wide grin on her face, hoping that neither Evelyn nor Granny would guess the real reason behind it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Aw, they finally said "I love you". Who is excited for the Luna Ceremony? And what about Shiloh's plan to seduce her big, bad wolf?


	22. Chapter 22

It took three hours for them to find the perfect dress for Shiloh, but Alice and Evelyn Johnson were happy with their choice. They decided on an Ancient Greece inspired gown, white chiffon, with a slim golden belt around Shiloh's waist. The purpose of the dress was to emulate the Moon, both in purity and simplicity, as well as emphasizing on its importance in the lycanthrope world, represented by the golden belt.

Shiloh looked herself up in the floor length mirror of her new bedroom, admiring the dress. It was floor-length and ended just at her ankles, but that was fine since she got to wear silver high-heeled sandals. The dress had a deep cut in the front, showing off her cleavage but not in a trashy way. She wasn't allowed any jewelry, not that she wanted to wear any. Her only accessory was the mark on her neck, a symbol that she belonged to the Alpha and no one else.

Karen, Noah's mate, had just finished with her make-up, which was barely there. All Karen did was apply some mascara and blush, as well as paint Shiloh's lips a soft pink. There wasn't a general rule on how a Luna should look like during the Luna Ceremony, but everyone agreed that the occasion called for simplicity rather than extravagance. The point was to show the pack the real Shiloh, their future Luna, the future Mother of the Wolf's Hill Pack. As their female leader, Shiloh might have been above them in terms of ranking, but certainly not in any other aspect of their lives. In many ways, she had much to learn, but what she lacked in knowledge, she made up for in enthusiasm.

Cameron found himself already in the stadium, surrounded by his men, waiting for his mate and the other she-wolves to arrive. He wasn't sure why he was as nervous as he was, but he couldn't help it. After years of waiting to find his mate, he finally did. After tonight, they would be together forever.

"Calm down, son," Alexander came to pat his son's shoulder.

"I can't. What if they reject her?" Cameron asked the question he feared most.

"Are you kidding, man?" Dylan asked, incredulously. Both Johnsons looked at the Beta. "Shi is perfect for the role of Luna. Anyone who doesn't see that is an idiot. Besides, the Moon Goddess chose her for you. Unless some of these fools think the Goddess made a mistake, then I don't see why anyone in our pack would even think of rejecting your mate."

Alexander agreed wholeheartedly with his son's oldest and best friend. He could understand the nerves, but Cameron's assumption that the pack would reject Shiloh was preposterous. In fact, he even went around for the past week, checking on things, and casually bringing up Shiloh and her factory. While most people didn't quite know what was going on behind the closed doors of Lunar Industries, they all had heard or even seen Shiloh's crash landing into his son's house. Everyone was excited to find out more and were eager to know if he knew anything about the girl's wellbeing. Alexander smiled kindly every time one of the wolves inquired about his daughter-in-law, because regardless if they were married or not, Shiloh was already part of the family. The look of relief on everyone's faces when he assured that Shiloh was just fine was confirmation enough that they already felt strongly about their future Luna, without even knowing who she was.

Cameron was relieved to hear that from his dad. Coming from anyone else, he would have thought they just wanted to sugarcoat things, but Alexander wasn't one to sugarcoat anything.

When the whole pack finally arrived, Evelyn mind linked her husband, telling him that the women were in the car, waiting for the official introduction of their Luna. The three elders, who were official patrons of the pack and were in charge with upholding the law, were already informed and introduced to the future Luna. All three of them gave their blessing after a lengthy conversation with the recently turned she-wolf, although everybody knew their blessing wasn't exactly necessary. They believed that the Moon Goddess knew what she was doing and wouldn't dare question her. However, their blessing came as a relief for both the Alpha and his mate.

The moment everyone was seated and silence fell over the stadium, Cameron stepped onto the improvised stage and spoke into the microphone.

"My pack, my family," he started and a few cheered. Cameron smiled, but continued. "Tonight I gathered you all here to celebrate with me a joyous occasion. You know I am not known to make long, meaningful speeches," he said, but got interrupted when someone in the crowd yelled 'graduation speech', causing the rest to laugh, remembering how nervous Cameron was about him giving that speech on his high school graduation day. Cameron just rolled his eyes, before resuming.

"As you all know, the Moon Goddess didn't bless me with finding my mate on my sixteenth birthday or any of the following," he said, and a graveyard-like silence fell over his pack. Everyone knew how hard it was for a wolf without their mate. For an Alpha to be so long without his was unimaginable. Nevertheless, the Wolf's Hill Pack trusted the Goddess to mate their Alpha with an amazing woman who would be their Luna.

"I had almost given up hope, made many mistakes that I deeply regret," he confessed, remorsefully.

Everyone who knew about his rough patch knew he meant the few she-wolves he slept with, especially Roxanne. She was the black sheep not only of her own family, but the whole pack's. Many wolves, male and female alike hoped that the troublesome she-wolf would stay away. Unfortunately, she returned and had already caused trouble. Not only did she seem convinced that she belonged with the Alpha, which most wolves not only doubted but vehemently fought against, she also was a smug jerk who thought she was better than anyone else. Some wolves even went to see their Alpha or Alexander to tell them that while their loyalty and affection was with both of them, if Cameron chose the pack's whore, they would ask to be allowed to transfer into another pack.

Alexander knew that they would never even dare speak up about who their Alpha should or shouldn't be mated to, but he understood their reluctance. Ever since Roxanne's first shift, the girl had become a nuisance. Her father, former Beta and good friend of Alexander's was desperate to find a way to straighten her out. He was appalled when people started calling his only child a slut, and even went as far as to demand from Cameron that he took responsibility for sleeping with her. At that time, Frank Davidson was convinced that Cameron took Roxanne's virginity, only to later be proven wrong. When Cameron rejected her after one night of them being together, Roxanne seemed to have lost her mind. She started acting strangely, erratic and violent at times. To keep her from going completely insane, Frank shipped her to his sister, who lived in a pack close to New York. Thinking that maybe Roxanne might find her mate there, Frank was glad when his sister reported him that his daughter was on her best behavior. That, however, changed when Roxanne returned, and once again, Cameron rejected her. He understood his Alpha. He too was a mated man and knew that nothing and no one would ever come close to his mate. Any other woman would always be second choice. He understood Cameron completely and as much as it pained him, he didn't want Roxanne to chase desperately after a man who would never love her.

"The Moon Goddess has great plans for all of us, even if we don't understand them," Cameron continued his speech. "My pack, my family, it is with great joy and love that I want to tell you, that the Moon Goddess guided my mate to me." Gasps could be heard all over the stadium. Cameron's face split into a shit-eating grin. He couldn't contain his happiness any longer. "My pack, my family, I have found my mate. I have found my Luna."

Cameron barely spoke those words when the whole stadium erupted in cheers, hollers and congratulations. It took them five whole minutes to calm down, and Cameron was sure it would have lasted far longer if he hadn't asked them to settle down so that he could bring out their Luna.

Shiloh got more nervous as time passed. She and Evelyn stayed in the car so that she remained hidden from the pack until the time was right. She could hear Cameron's speech and felt tears gathering in her eyes when he spoke with so much love to his pack. When they erupted in loud cheers over the news that their Alpha finally found his mate, Shiloh's heart skipped a beat. The only hurdle left was for Cameron to say who his mate was and see if they were accepting her.

Listening intently to the crowd settling down again, Shiloh heard how Cameron explained that his mate used to be human, but wonderful, kind, caring, brave and strong nevertheless. He told them how she amazed him with her knowledge of werewolf-kind and how she didn't fear Dylan and his men when they came too close to her, but feared that someone tried to hurt them.

"Alpha, tells us already who our Luna is," one wolf demanded, and Cameron chuckled. They were all so impatient.

"Oh, for Goddess' sake," Marco yelled. "How thick are you guys? Can't you guess?"

"Oh, my gosh!" a girl in the crowd yelled,not much older than maybe twelve, making most wolves turn to look at her. "It's that beautiful lady with the spaceship, isn't it?"

Cameron had to smile. Childish innocence solved the puzzle before anyone else. A lot of the wolves turned to their Alpha, mind linking him, asking if the preteen was right, and he confirmed silently. The crowd broke out in louder cheers and hollers, making the arena sound like a battleground. Waiting for everyone to calm down, and his mom to signal him that they were ready, Cameron spoke again.

"My pack, my family, allow me to introduce Ms. Shiloh Andrews, my mate and Luna," he said proud and full of love.

The moment the love of his life stepped closer to him, climbing the two steps to stand next to him on the stage, the crowd went silent. Cameron had to admit, she looked gorgeous. In fact, she looked as if she was the embodiment of the Moon Goddess herself.

"I love you," he told her confidently when he saw the nervous flicker in her eyes. Shiloh smiled and visibly relaxed. Whatever happened, she would always love Cameron and do anything for him.

"I love you, too."

Cameron leaned in to kiss her, when the crowd started cheering again, chanting her name and wishing her a long life. Shiloh almost choked when she heard their enthusiasm and especially their acceptance of her. She truly feared that she wasn't good enough for them. After all, she was just recently turned and had still so much to learn.

"Her? That's your mate?" Roxanne's voice could be heard. Cameron immediately held Shiloh protectively against him. The wolves in the stadium watched with rapt attention towards the Alpha couple and the troublesome she-wolf they all came to despise.

"Roxanne, I suggest you calm down and remember to whom you're referring to. My mate is also your Luna," Cameron growled, dangerously.

"She'll never be my Luna. That bitch! I should be Luna. I was the first woman you've been with," Roxanne raged on.

"You were also the first woman for other wolves in and outside of our pack," Cameron deadpanned, earning a few snickers and laughs from the crowd. He guessed, Shiloh's wit was rubbing off on him.

"Cameron, baby, I love you. You need a real woman, not a wannabe she-wolf," she snarled as she glared at Shiloh. Shiloh stood tall, unafraid of the woman in front of her.

"Don't call me that. I don't care about your feelings. We had sex one fucking time, when we were seventeen and the morning after I told you to get lost. I don't want you, even if I wouldn't have found my mate. Do you really think I would give up on my true mate for a slut like you?" he growled and Roxanne gasped. "Do you really think my pack would accept someone like you as their Luna?"

"I am the daughter of the Beta," she yelled back at him.

"Former Beta, and you should be ashamed of yourself. Your parents sacrificed a lot for this pack, and what do you do? You turn into the pack's whore, trashing their name. You are a disgrace!" Cameron yelled back. If it wouldn't have been for Shiloh holding his hand in hers, and using her other hand to rub his arm, Cameron was sure that he would have jumped off the stage and ripped that little bitch apart.

Getting angry by the second, Roxanne glared at Shiloh who held her glare with one of her own. This wasn't the first time someone thought less of her or challenged her. It wasn't even the first time someone looked at her wanting her to drop dead. What truly infuriated her was how Roxanne caused pain to so many people. Ever since Cameron marked and mated her, Shiloh started feeling the pack members. It was faint at first, but it got stronger with each passing day. She could now feel and even pin point who felt what. Most people were angry with Roxanne, some even felt a strong urge to kill the woman challenging their Alpha and Luna. One of these people was her mate.

Shiloh watched as Frank Davidson, former Beta and Roxanne's father, went to reason with her. But Shiloh saw the wild look in her eyes and knew it wasn't over.

"I challenge that whore to a death match!" Roxanne shouted. Shiloh was hoping that Roxanne was smarter than that, but, obviously, she wasn't. She was driven by impulse rather than her mind.

"What?" came Cameron's incredulous voice.

"You heard me. I challenge that whore for the position of Luna. It is my right. It says so in our Laws," Roxanne said triumphantly. Some of the wolves in the stadium turned from one to the other, wanting to know if that was true.

Shiloh anticipated this after Cameron and a few others told her about the shit that Roxanne used to pull. That was why she contacted the three elders while she was still at the mall to ask them to bring the Lycanthrope Law Codex with them. When they wanted to know why, she told them about this exact same situation. None of the three elder men thought it was necessary but now they could see that their Luna was right. She also contemplated about just coming out and telling Roxanne that there was no legal right for her to challenge Shiloh, but decided against it. If the she-wolf wanted to humiliate herself, so be it.

Mind linking the three elders to stand by and not reveal the real words Roxanne was citing, Shiloh detached herself from her mate, earning her a curious look from him.

"I accept," she said out loud, stunning the crowd.

"Shiloh, you can't!" Cameron said forceful.

"Cam, trust me, please," she pleaded. Cameron hated the idea of her getting hurt. He never thought that it would come to a death match. He had heard about these practices in the past, but they were so ancient that everyone had forgotten them. Apparently, not everyone.

Unable to stop her, Cameron watched in horror as Shiloh took off her heels and went to climb down the stairs. He watched her as she walked to the center of the stadium where the fight would take place. He could see how Frank and Anna, Roxanne's, parents pleaded with their child to stop this nonsense, but Roxanne only grinned wickedly. Shiloh on the other hand was serious and sullen.

Walking close to where the two she-wolves would fight, cracking his brain over how to stop the fight, Cameron watched in horror as one of the elders, Jonah, volunteered to be referee. Stating the rules, which were, basically, inexistent, he asked the two women if they had any questions. Shiloh raised her hand.

"Yeah. I've got a couple, actually." The whole stadium listened in. Thanks to their advanced werewolf hearing, everyone could hear every word that was spoken.

"Please, Luna," Jonah said with a smile, making Shiloh return it, and Roxanne growl.

"She's not your Luna. After this is over, I'll be the Luna," Roxanne said smugly.

"You'll never be Luna, you slut," Jonah replied, stunning the whole crowd. Jonah was the nicest person you could ever meet. Not once did he cuss or offend anyone, even during arguments. Hearing him talk that way to Roxanne alerted the other wolves of the seriousness of what was going on and Jonah's profound disapproval of the she-wolf who dared challenge Cameron's mate.

"We'll see," Roxanne said under her breath, but a lot of people heard her.

"Yeah, back to my questions," Shiloh said, sounding unfazed by the exchange between her rival and the referee. "Question number one: is this really supposed to be a death match or can someone concede?"

"It is called a death match, but if someone gives up, the other person needs to stop the fight. The one standing is declared winner. No one has to become a murderer, especially when their opponent is too weak," Jonah said gritting his teeth. It kind of hurt Shiloh that the older man didn't think she could take Roxanne, but then again, no one ever saw her fight and no one really knew what she could or couldn't do.

"Don't worry. I won't kill you if you beg me," Roxanne snarled.

"I wasn't worried, Roxy," Shiloh taunted, earning her a death glare. "My second question: if there are no rules, does that mean everything and anything is allowed in order to win?" she asked. Jonah looked at her confused, but nodded. "So, if I do something that would be deemed unfair in a regular match, I wouldn't get penalized?"

"No," came Jonah's immediate answer.

After Shiloh nodded, Jonah declared the match to be started. Shiloh remained rooted to the spot, ignoring Cameron's pleas to stop this. She was upset that not even her mate had faith in her abilities, but she vowed to prove just how dangerous and deadly she could be when someone dared threatening her mate and family.

"I'll kill you, you whore!" Roxanne growled.

"I wouldn't call myself a whore. I mean sure, I had sex with two other guys before I met Cameron, but that hardly counts to gain that reputation," Shiloh said calmly. "Remind me again, how many men parked their Porsche in your garage?" Shiloh asked with a wicked grin. Roxanne got madder by the second. She wanted nothing more than to rip her rival apart and take her place as Cameron's mate and Luna of the pack.

"You'll regret the day you were born, you man-stealing cunt!" Roxanne yelled, before she shifted into a large light-brown wolf, with white patches on her paws. Shiloh had to admit, she looked beautiful, but all the beauty in the world couldn't make up for Roxanne's toxic personality.

Watching as the large wolf charged at her, Shiloh calmly waited for the right moment. She might not have much experience fighting wolves in any form, human or werewolf alike, but Jayden, her Marine trainer, taught her well. She was confident in her abilities. After all, they had saved her on numerous occasions from far greater dangers.

Cameron watched in horror as Roxanne shifted and charged at his mate. He was even more horrified when Shiloh didn't shift. He wanted to step in and stop this ridiculous fight, when Alexander held him back. He wanted to protest but just then something impossible happened.

Roxanne leaped off the ground, her muzzle wide open, aiming for Shiloh's neck, when the other woman, leaned backwards, almost completely touching the ground, but standing back up the moment the she-wolf passed her. Shiloh didn't even wait for Roxanne to process what had happened, and grabbed the wolf's tail, pulled hard on it until a crack was heard. Roxanne howled in pain over her broken tail and Cameron wondered how Shiloh didn't break Roxanne's spine with that action. More so, he didn't understand how she even managed to do what she did. However, Shiloh wasn't done. She approached the wolf who was still whimpering in pain, shocked by the turn of events, and ran her hand along her rival's spine.

Searching for the right spot, Shiloh counted vertebrae until she found the one she was looking for. Using the heel of her hand, Shiloh pressed down hard on Roxanne's spine, causing an immediate shift back into her human body.

The entire stadium was stunned. No one understood what was going on. Everyone just watched mesmerized as their Luna took down a fully grown werewolf, who had been a werewolf her entire life mind you, in two moves. Two moves none of them even understood let alone hoped to replicate.

The evening silence was pierced by Roxanne's cries of pain. Her father, Frank, immediately came to cover her up and pleaded with the pack doctor to come check on his daughter.

"She'll be fine. Nothing is broken, just bruised. She'll have some hard time walking for a couple of days," Shiloh said, coming closer to Frank, and squeezing his shoulder. Frank looked up shocked, and just nodded.

"I'm sorry, Luna. I'm sorry my daughter challenged you," he said remorsefully, but Shiloh shook her head.

"It's not your fault. She is a grown woman who can make her own decisions," Shiloh reassured with a smile. She then looked towards Jonah and asked him to read the passage Roxanne cited out loud.

"If an Alpha presents a Luna to his pack who is not his true mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess, then any she-wolf in the pack or even outside of it is allowed to challenge the appointed Luna. If the challenger wins the match, she will become the new Luna, unless another she-wolf challenges her. However, if the Alpha presents his true mate to the pack as his Luna, there will be no legal ground for anyone to challenge that position."

Everyone in the stadium listened to their elder and tried to understand what he was saying. The first ones to understand the meaning were Alexander and Cameron.

"So, you telling me, my mate didn't have to fight this nutjob?" Cameron growled, angrily.

"No," came Jonah's response.

Before anyone could say anything more, Shiloh spoke up. Addressing mainly the pack, she explained that she asked the elders to withhold this piece of information.

"Why?" Cameron asked, shocked.

"Because Roxanne wanted to humiliate me. She would have gone off that it was a technicality and that she could still be a better Luna. This way, she got what she asked for. A match. I have no intention of killing her, but I won't allow her to hurt you or the pack with her destructive behavior," she told her mate truthfully. "I know you think I'm crazy, but I knew what I was doing. I take full responsibility for what the elders did. They acted on my authority and request."

"Wait. You knew this would happen?" Alexander asked, flabbergasted.

"No. I had a hunch. I actually hoped it wouldn't come to this but I rather be prepared than be surprised. I knew she was dangerous, and I wanted to be prepared when I faced her," Shiloh reassured them with a smile.

"Well, that's a first," came the voice of a male from behind her. Shiloh turned around and when she caught sight of the man standing there, a huge grin split her face, and she jumped into his arms. "Good to see you, too, you little lunatic," he said chuckling, and she growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Take that, Roxy! You'll never be Luna.
> 
> Look at Shiloh being proactive and kicking ass all in one evening. Who liked how Shi handled Roxanne?
> 
> And who's the guy Shiloh is hugging?


	23. Chapter 23

Cameron almost lost his mind when he saw his mate in the arms of another wolf.

"Mine!" he growled loudly, making Shiloh jump and the man holding her let go immediately.

Cameron pulled his mate into his own arms, glaring at the 6'5'' tall black man before him. Jayden was one of his best warriors, who requested to be allowed to go fight alongside humans for a while, wanting to learn several fighting techniques that would improve their own training. Cameron thought the world of Jayden, until he saw his mate in the other man's arms. What the fuck?

"I'm sorry, Alpha. I didn't mean any disrespect," came Jayden's voice. He looked sincere but Cameron still hated what he had just seen.

"Cam, let go, you're smothering me," Shiloh protested. Cameron reluctantly let go and Shiloh glared at him. "What's the matter with you? Jay is my friend," she stated matter-of-factly, and Cameron needed a moment to process everything.

"Your friend? How do you know one of my warriors?" Cameron asked, confused.

"Your warriors?" came Shiloh's reply, just as confused as her mate. She then turned around to look at Jayden who smiled kindly. "You're a werewolf?" she asked and he nodded. "And you are part of this pack?" she inquired, and Jayden nodded with pride in his eyes. "Is fucking every guy I ever met secretly a werewolf?" she asked more to herself, but everyone around her heard her.

"I don't know about every guy, but I am. And so is Johnny," Jayden informed her. Johnny was the Navy SEAL who helped with her training as well.

"Seriously?" came Shiloh's incredulous reply. Jayden only nodded.

"I'll explain everything later, Luna, " he promised, and smiled broadly as the word 'Luna' rolled off his tongue. He was so happy and proud that his pack finally had a Luna and his friend had found his mate.

"Babe, this is Jayden, Jay who trained me," Shiloh said excitedly when she turned to look at her mate again. "Thanks to him, I'm alive."

Cameron needed a moment to process and while Shiloh excitedly started telling everyone about how Jayden and her met when she was still a human, Cameron mind linked his warrior and thanked him. Shiloh had talked a lot about the two trainers she had, but Cameron never thought that they were two of his own warriors. Realizing that the Moon Goddess always looked out for his mate brought a smile to his face. He thanked Jayden again and promised to reward him.

"Please, Alpha. Even if Shi wasn't my Luna, which I didn't know at the time," he said chuckling. "She is an amazing person who conquers you the minute you meet her. She can be a nuisance sometimes when she doesn't want to do her pull-ups, but I swear, I would have taken a bullet for her. I still would take a bullet for her. She might be my Luna now, but I've grown to care for her like for a little sister."

Cameron was relieved to hear that; not just that Jayden would risk his life to save his Luna but also because he wasn't interested in her romantically. Even if that was the case, Cameron would have annihilated the other wolf.

More people seemed to be interested in how Jayden met their Luna, until Alice reminded them that they still had to go through the Luna Ceremony.

Frank Davidson took his daughter to the hospital, to be taken care of, while the elders prepared everything for the ancient ceremony that would bind Shiloh to this pack. Usually, all it took to be part of a pack was the Alpha's approval. But for a Luna, especially one who wasn't born in the pack or a wolf at all, they needed to go through the ceremony.

Nodding and feeling nervous again, Shiloh grabbed her mate's hand, guiding him back to the stage. Cameron could feel her nervousness and tried to ease her nerves by massaging her shoulders a little, while she slipped back into her sandals, but when she went to fasten them, Cameron crouched down and did it for her.

"You don't have to do that," she told him with a loving smile.

"I know," he replied, "but I want to. I want to take care of you for the rest of my days."

"In that case, you're gonna be extra happy to please me when I'm on my period," she giggled and he couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. Shaking his head, Cameron made sure the sandals were fastened enough without hurting her, before standing up and pulling her back into his side.

Jonah gave the traditional speech about the importance of finding one's mate and how important it is for an Alpha to find his Luna. The Moon Goddess was praised for mating Cameron to a beautiful, kind and caring woman, who would not only be his rock in life, but the mother of the pack.

Listening to the words, Shiloh knew they were mostly generic, but every once in a while Jonah and the other elders would glance her way and smile. It meant the world to her that they and the rest of the pack approved of her.

Asking her to step closer, both mates stood on each side of Jonah, facing each other. Evelyn had already explained that the ceremony was like a wedding, but not quite. It was more the commitment that the Luna made to the Alpha to help him protect and guide the pack. It was the Luna's promise to do everything in her power to be the pack's support and comfort. Cutting their palms, both mates let a few drops fall onto the ground, symbolizing that they would both give their own lives to protect their pack.

Cameron was the first to say the vows towards his pack, but unlike the day he became the official Alpha of the Wolf's Hill Pack, tonight he also promised Shiloh to protect her as well, and asked her to be his Luna and always be by his side to lead his pack into a better future.

Shiloh had similar words to repeat, but before Jonah could officially introduce her, Shiloh asked if she could address the pack. It was highly unusual, but no one had any objections. Facing the crowd, Shiloh took a deep breath. Damn her nerves!

"Hi, everyone. I'm Shiloh, and I am Cameron's mate. As you may know, I wasn't born a werewolf. I used to be human. It was less than a week ago that Cameron bit me and turned me. I have still a lot to learn about what it means to be a lycanthrope, and even more to be a decent Luna. I would like to ask you to be patient with me, because what I lack in knowledge I make up in enthusiasm and hard work. Anyone who ever met me knows I am not one to back off easily. I want to be your Luna and I want to do a good job. I will work hard to be worthy of my pack and that all of you can be proud of me. I will make mistakes, I will trip and fall, but I will get up again, learn from my mistakes, try again and succeed. It will be rough, but nothing in life that is good is just handed to you. I want to earn your respect, your trust and if possible your love. I don't expect those things to come without hard work and I don't want them given to me easily. I will prove to you that I'm worthy to be part of your pack and I vow to do my best to protect you and make your lives better. I vow to be the best Luna I can be and promise to be next to the Alpha to complete him every day of my life."

The moment Shiloh finished her little speech, the crowd cheered and chanted her name with enthusiasm and affection. Cameron already knew that she had already proven herself worthy to his pack. He also knew that she wouldn't take her new tasks lightly and work harder than necessary. He made a mental note to make sure she wouldn't exhaust herself. The pack respected her already for not backing down in front of a challenge, but mostly for showing compassion to her rival who only taunted and disrespected her. He knew that most people hated Roxanne for being a trashy whore, but he could feel how their dislike towards the she-wolf grew when she dared challenging not only Shiloh, but the Moon Goddess. Shiloh was his true mate, made for him by the Goddess. If they operated under the assumption that the Moon Goddess gave you the wrong mate and you could just choose whoever you wanted, then their entire belief system would crumble. It wouldn't matter anymore if you had a mate or not, and that was just sad. He saw the love his parents shared and he could feel it himself each time he looked at his mate. No, the Moon Goddess knew what she was doing.

Recording their names in the official pack records, both Shiloh and Cameron signed their names to confirm that they both accepted the positions of Luna and Alpha within the Wolf's Hill Pack. When the ceremony was finally over, Shiloh sighed in relief.

"See? I've told you it wouldn't be so bad," Cameron told her with a smirk. Shiloh just nodded, leaning into him, allowing herself to get lost in his strong arms.

One by one, all of the wolves nearest to them came to congratulate Shiloh and welcome her into the pack. Shiloh didn't even know how exactly they managed it, but Cameron and she greeted every werewolf in the stadium, inviting them to the barbecue the Johnsons would have the next weekend to celebrate properly.

It was past one a.m. when Cameron carried his mate over the threshold of their house, this time less symbolic, but more because Shiloh just couldn't walk anymore. She dreaded the next day when she was supposed to meet with Cameron's family for brunch. Don't get her wrong, she loved them, really she did, but all Shiloh could think about was sleep. Maybe she could convince Cam to just lock their door and pretend they weren't home. But even she knew that wouldn't work. If it didn't work at her house in the woods, clearly it wouldn't work here.

Locking the door behind him, Cameron carried his mate up the stairs where their bedroom was. Passing the few other rooms in their house, Cameron's mind drifted to a future when those rooms would be filled with their pups. He wasn't sure if it was prudent to bring it up any time soon, but he did want them at some point.

Helping Shiloh out of her gown and sandals, Cameron was happy when all she decided to wear was one of his tee shirts. She didn't even bother to lift the comforter off the bed to slip under it, but instead just plopped on top of it. Cameron chuckled at how cute she was laying there on their king size bed, sprawled out deliciously. If he wouldn't have been just as exhausted as her, he might have tried his luck, although seeing how passed out she was, he wouldn't have risked waking her. She needed her sleep and they could always make love another time. Thankfully, they had time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It seems the Moon Goddess watched more over Shiloh than she thought, with two werewolves from the Wolf's Hill Pack already making sure their future Luna kicked ass long before she was turned.
> 
> What did you think of the ceremony?


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Some couple time for Shiloh and Cameron ♥

On Saturday, Cameron and Shiloh were able to sleep in. The events of the previous night exhausted them more than either cared to admit, and both were thankful to just rest in their comfortable bed. Cameron was the first to wake up, and watched his mate as she laid sprawled over his chest, hugging him tightly, a small smile on her face. He kissed her head, and relaxed back into the mattress, figuring it was okay to not get up just yet.

Cameron didn't know how long he was asleep, when he felt Shiloh stir and jump out of bed as if something bit her.

"What's going on?" he asked a little panicked.

"Nothing. I just gotta tinkle," came Shiloh's reply as she stumbled into their bathroom. Cameron chuckled. Ever since they started living together, Shiloh would wake up in the morning and the first thing she would do was going to the bathroom.

A moment later, Shiloh emerged from the bathroom, rubbing her eyes and trying to wake herself up. She hated mornings. She was a night owl and almost wailed the first time Cameron woke her up. Thankfully, he had the presence of mind to shower her with kisses and bring her a steaming cup of coffee.

Crawling back into Cameron's arms, Shiloh sighed happily, as her mate embraced her tightly. She didn't want to get up and start her day. She just wanted to stay in bed, snuggled up to her man, inhaling his sexy scent and just sleep. She felt as if she hadn't slept in weeks.

"We should get up soon, before someone comes knocking on our door," he finally said in his husky morning voice that sent shudders down to Shiloh's core.

"Fuck 'em!" she replied, making him chuckle.

"I'd rather we fuck each other," he told her honestly and without delay. Shiloh looked up to find her mate with a seductive smirk on his face.

"You are so insatiable!" she declared in a dramatic voice. Cameron arched an eyebrow.

"I'm insatiable? You're the one who is rubbing against me, you little, naughty kitten."

"Fuck you! You like it," she reciprocated his smirk.

"That I do."

Cameron captured her lips and moved his own against her delicious mouth. He knew she hated mornings, having witnessed just how active his mate could be at night.

At first, he thought it was the thrill of their newfound sexual relationship or the curiosity to know as much as possible about the other, but even when Shiloh wasn't with him, she would stay up late. Cameron found her one night in the living room sitting cross-legged on her couch as she furiously typed on her laptop. When he asked her what she was doing, she just said working, but it was only after a while when she looked up that she realized he was actually there.

"Who did you think talked to you?" he had asked her, amused. She had just shrugged and told him that she barely heard or saw anything when she was concentrated on doing something. She apologized, but he just dismissed her. He was no different.

Shaking his head off the memory, Cameron focused on the gorgeous woman in his arms. If they didn't stop soon, he wouldn't be able to. Shiloh's mind was far from stopping, though. If anything, the mere idea that they could finally be together, without any stress caused by deadly tumors or insecurities if his pack would accept her, thrilled and excited her.

Pushing his shoulder lightly, Shiloh moved to straddle his hips, while Cameron's hands went to caress her sides. Reaching the hem of the shirt she was wearing – one of his favorites – Cameron lifted the fabric off her lithe body to reveal her naked form. The only piece of clothing still on her were her panties, which he could already feel soaked with her juices.

Shiloh leaned forward and pressed her body flush against Cameron's, shivering in delight as her nipples stiffened at the delicious contact of their bodies. Cameron's member twitched inside his boxers while his hands roamed every inch of Shiloh he could reach.

Mating her mouth with his, Shiloh boldly licked his bottom lip, asking for entrance, before plunging her tongue inside his mouth, exploring every crevice. Moaning into the kiss, Shiloh started grinding against his hardness, all the while Cameron gripped her butt firmly, kneading the flesh thoroughly.

Their kiss intensified as both lovers surrendered to the other, taking and demanding control all at once. It was in a wolf's nature, though, to dominate his female, and soon Shiloh's wolf rolled onto her back, showing her belly to her mate.

Shiloh, following her wolf's example, surrendered to Cameron's caresses and kisses, as he flipped them over, having her lay on her back, while he went to explore her body. Cameron loved how she would submit to him in the bedroom, but demanded nothing less but being treated as his equal anywhere else. He knew his mate was more than capable of taking care of herself, as proved by her successful business she was running all on her own. However, he couldn't help but wonder how it would feel like to let her be in charge. Yes, Cameron had decided to let her be in charge at least once. His wolf protested, but Cameron was too curious to find out what his sexy mate would do if left in charge of the seduction.

Pushing that thought aside, Cameron kissed his way towards Shiloh's neck, where he sucked the flesh lightly, but avoided leaving a hickey. If they would have been human, he might have been tempted to leave his mark, but as it so happened, he already did. He moved on towards his mark on her body, a clear sign that she belonged to him and no one was allowed to touch her. Kissing the sensitive spot, Cameron elicited guttural moans from his mate, as she arched her back and pressed her front closer to his chest. Cameron growled in approval and pushed her back down.

Traveling down her body, he kissed every inch of it, committing it to memory as if it was the first time. They had made love so many times that he had lost count.

Squirming underneath him, Shiloh thanked the universe for putting this wonderful man on her path, a man who worshipped and loved her, accepting her with all her flaws and completing her the way she knew her father completed her mother. They might not have been werewolves, but they loved and cherished each other above anyone else.

Before they died, Shiloh always hoped to find someone who would love her the way her father loved her mother; someone she could love back just as fiercely and profoundly. After they had died, though, Shiloh didn't want to hear anything of love or soul mates. She didn't want to give her heart to anyone else, because she knew what hurt was, and felt it over and over again. She was very much aware that it would break her completely if she would lose Cameron. That is why she secretly started formulating plans to make sure that he and the whole pack were safe from anything. She would never allow anyone to hurt them. She would never allow any of them to feel the complete and utter emptiness after losing a loved one. She knew she couldn't stop life from happening, nor did she want to. She knew, however, that there were dangers outside that could always harm them. She'd better be safe than sorry.

Focusing back on the man who was kissing and nibbling her body, Shiloh took a moment to admire him. He was incredibly handsome, strong, sexy, but so kind and caring that it made tears well up in her eyes.

Sensing a shift in her mood, Cameron pulled back slightly to lock eyes with his mate, and when he saw the tears, he got worried.

"What happened?" he asked her confused.

"Nothing. It's just, I love you so much," she whispered hoarsely, unable to keep her voice steady.

Smiling softly at her, Cameron leaned forward and first kissed her right cheek, then her left, before pecking her lips. He didn't understand what made her mood shift, but figured she might just be overwhelmed with all the things that had happened to her in the past week. He felt reassured that she loved him, though.

"I love you, too, kitten," he told her softly. Deciding that she wasn't in the mood to make love anymore, Cameron went to sit up, but Shiloh's legs wrapped themselves around his waist, pulling him back against her.

"Please, make love to me," she whispered, and he nodded.

What started out as wild and lustful sex, turned into sweet love making. Cameron covered her body with his, making sure not to put all his weight on her. Bending down, he captured her lips in a love-filled kiss, tasting her sweetness as she opened her mouth to welcome him.

Shiloh snaked her arms around his upper body, pulling him flush against her, welcoming the delicious weight of her mate. She wanted to feel every inch of him, inside and outside. She wants them to be one. Shiloh battled his tongue for dominance in their shared kiss, as it became more heated and demanding with every short breath they managed to take. Unable to win the battle, Shiloh surrendered herself to his expert touch, vowing silently to repay him in the near future, seducing him and worshipping him the way he deserved.

She was never one to be shy in the bedroom, though she never felt like putting on a show for anyone else, either. Cameron was different, though. He didn't demand from her without giving back. If anything, he gave and silently awaited a reward, if you wanted to label what they had.

Cameron's kisses traveled down Shiloh's neck, lingering on her mark, while his right hand caressed her side and went to massage her boob. He loved their form and size, big, but not porn star large. They were natural, round, firm and oh so delicious. He honestly couldn't wait to devour all of her, and moved from one erect nipple to the other, suckling them both thoroughly, to no avail, obviously, since her body wasn't ready yet to produce the nutritious breastmilk that would one day feed their pups. Mentally, Cameron wondered what it would taste like on his tongue and promised himself to try it out when the time came.

Writhing and panting beneath him, Shiloh, buried her hands in his locks, pulling hair and scratching scalp while chasing her pleasure. The things Cameron did to her were out of this world. Shiloh had no idea how he was able to satisfy her so much with just simple kisses and caresses. The best part hadn't even started yet. Thinking of his best asset, Shiloh felt a hot wave wash over her, making her already soaked panties completely drenched and useless.

Inhaling her arousal, Cameron growled with lust and anticipation, as he kissed around her navel, and maneuvered himself so that he could remove the last item of clothing on her body. Using his claws, Cameron shredded the tiny fabric, not minding at all as his mate protested his choice of undressing her.

"I'll buy you a year's worth of panties," he muttered against the wet folds of her luscious nether lips.

Shiloh breathed in sharply as she felt his hot breath right where she needed him most. Time seized to exist when they gave themselves to each other – body, mind and soul. They belonged together and Shiloh would be damned if she would give up her mate. Nothing in this world would ever come between them, she vowed silently.

Cameron's favorite past time, these days, was to indulge in the delicious sweetness of his mate's love juices. The few women he had been with didn't even come close to Shiloh, even if it wasn't for the mate bond. Cameron knew that Shiloh was special all on her own. The mate bond only strengthened his feelings for her. They were different in many ways, but where it counted they were similar and completed each other. He loved that they could have honest conversations and even disagreements without getting into real fights. It was a good thing to not always agree on things. Sometimes, Shiloh made him see something he missed because he had already made up his mind. He wasn't sure how he could help her in her work, but if she ever asked for advice, he would try and give it to her. But despite his lack of scientific expertise, Cameron enjoyed talking to Shiloh about her gadgets. It wasn't just because he loved to see her face light up when she spoke of the things that mattered to her, but also because he would state his unaltered opinion about a product.

Lapping at her folds, Cameron inhaled her scent, feeling himself grow larger in his boxers. Managing to maneuver himself out of them, Cameron's lips never left her body. Teasing her sensitive bundle of nerves, he knew it would be only a matter of time before she would come undone, spilling herself on his tongue. The best view he ever had was seeing her come hard for him. She was truly a sight for sore eyes.

Shiloh felt her orgasm coming and started bucking her hips. Cameron held her down, while eating her out, knowing that her release was near. He wanted to give her all the pleasure he could because he loved her so much that the mere sight of her made him utterly happy.

The built up anticipation came crashing down on Shiloh, as she screamed out her orgasm, lifting herself off the bed, arching her back. Her toes curled, her hands fisted the sheets, her breath got caught in her throat, as her pleasure jettisoned out of her and into her mate's hungry mouth.

Cameron nearly came as he watched her fall off the edge of pure bliss, and drank her juices like a thirsty man. She tasted divine – a combination of honey, marshmallow and vanilla. He had no idea how anyone could taste so good. She was like a drug, and he was a helpless junkie.

Shiloh blacked out the moment her orgasm hit her, and what hard hit it was. Feeling intense pleasure, a burning inside of her body, traveling fast towards her pussy where her mate was teasing her mercilessly, the pleasure erupted from her like a volcano. She faintly remembered a scream, and figured it must have been hers, but she couldn't be sure.

Feeling the bed move, Shiloh forced her eyes open as she stared into the blue ones of her mate. Cameron was smiling at her, but it was more of a grin; a very satisfied grin.

"What are you grinning at?" she asked, chuckling.

"I made you squirt," he told her, smugly. Realizing what he said, Shiloh blushed violently. She never once experienced something like that. In all fairness, none of her other lovers ever came even close to giving her such an intense orgasm.

"Perv!" she retorted, and looked away.

"Don't be embarrassed, kitten. Watching you like that," he started saying, and Shiloh turned her head to look at him, "surrendering yourself to me, to the things I do to you was just so arousing. I almost came myself when you did," he confessed, chuckling.

"That was so intense. I've never experienced anything like it," she told him, truthfully.

Without waiting for a sign, Cameron aligned himself with his mate, slowly pushing inside her slick and inviting core. Shiloh gasped at the intrusion, but welcomed it nevertheless. Each time they were like this, connected on a deeper level than they ever experienced with anyone before, they both felt like home.

Starting to thrust leisurely inside her, Cameron kept eye contact with her the whole time, silently telling her with his eyes, with his caresses and kisses how much she meant to him. He could always use the mind link, but it still thrilled him that they could communicate by just looking into the other's eyes.

Shiloh loved the wild sex they had, but adored the times they made sweet love to each other. It was always slow at first, and always in the missionary position since they both wanted to look at the other while being intimate.

Shiloh pulled his head down to her, capturing his lips in a love-filled kiss, tasting herself on his tongue. Growling, Shiloh pulled him flush against her, never minding his weight. If anything she wanted to feel him, wanted him to surrender to her just as much as she surrendered to him. She wanted to show him that he could let go in her arms and that he would always be safe. She wanted him to know that she was capable of carrying him when he was tired; capable of lifting him when he was down; capable of being his rock, just as much as he was hers.

"I love you, Shi," he told her, before kissing her lips.

"I love you, too, Cam."

Picking up his pace, Cameron thrusted harder into her, feeling her hot walls already contracting around his fast-moving cock. Holding her securely in his arms, he kissed her passionately, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth, while his cock hit her womb, almost wanting to break through that barrier and planting his seed. He knew that it was mostly his wolf wanting to impregnate his mate, but his human side knew that they had a busy time ahead. He was pleased to know that Shiloh wasn't reluctant to the idea of them having pups, especially in their near future.

Shiloh held onto him for dear life as she felt yet another orgasm quickly approaching. Kissing him with just as much fervor, Shiloh started caressing his well-built body, scratching the skin with her fingernails, knowing fully well that he loved her possessiveness, and nothing screamed that louder than scratch marks after a passionate session of love making.

Moving in sync, the two lovers surrendered themselves to the other. Cameron's deep thrusts were met by Shiloh's upward movements of her hips. The pair kissed passionately before having to pull back to breathe in much needed air as their pace quickened. Chasing their orgasms, Cameron leaned into her neck, breathing in her scent while biting down where his mark was, while Shiloh dug her heels into his lower back and scratched his shoulders as she tried to hold onto reality as both reached their climaxes simultaneously.

Crying out each other's names, the two wolves fell spent onto their mattress, panting heavily as they rode the last few minutes of their joined high.

Becoming aware of his surroundings, Cameron flipped them over, hating the mere idea of leaving her loving body. With him still sheathed deep inside her, Shiloh looked down at her smiling mate, her heart filling with joy and love, as she nuzzled into his chest, sighing happily.

"That was wow," she muttered, and he hummed in agreement.

Rubbing her back soothingly, Cameron kissed her crown, while holding her left hand in his. Running his thumb over the back of her hand and fingers, he wondered how it would feel like to touch a ring on her left ring finger. He knew from the day he met her that he wanted everything with her, but the more time they spent together, the more he wished to make it official not just in their world, but the human world as well. However, because of appearances, he knew that they should wait at least a couple of months before taking the next step and get married. Deciding to first let her experience the lycanthrope world, meaning taking on her Luna duties and visiting with him other packs, he could always ask her later to marry him. Besides, even if they didn't get married, they both knew their love was forever.

"I know we were supposed to meet you parents for brunch, but could you mind link them and suggest dinner instead? Tell them, I have a surprise for them," Shiloh suggested.

"What surprise?" her mate asked, curiously.

"Don't be nosy," she replied, pinching his nipple a little.

"Fine," he huffed in fake annoyance.

Mind-linking his mom, he asked her to postpone the family meal for dinner, telling her what Shiloh told him, and adding that they stayed up late last night to discuss the problem that was Roxanne. It was a white lie, since he still had to talk to his mate about his former one-night-stand. Dreading that conversation, though, he pushed it out of his mind for the time being, wanting to enjoy his time with the love of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Tell me what you thought.


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